Centipedes Eat Worms
by Woooinion
Summary: A distorted young man defies the bindings that fate placed on him, and learns how to live in a harsh world. A Worm story, with elements and inspirations from Tokyo Ghoul. A WORM CYOA gone horribly wrong.
1. Waking Up

**Centipedes Eat Worms 1.1**

 **Age: 13 years** ****

 **Mental Stability: … Questionable..** ****

 **Location: Japan, Tokyo, "old city"** ****

 _ **Shiro's POV:**_ ****

 **I'm dreaming, and I feel peace and Tranquility. I can't remember a time that I felt this safe, this secure. I hear a voice, apparently it's me:**

 **"I've been without security for too long"**

 **I recall being afraid in the small aluminum shack in the slums I share with my prostitute mother. She isn't here. She was never very affectionate, but she kept me alive. I felt dependent on her. She has gone missing for a day or two before, but this time she has been gone for five. The other Kyushu Refugees are afraid, they are leaving their shacks with everything they can carry. I stay. Mother told me not to leave the house when she isn't there, and I'm a good boy. I do what I'm told and wait.**

 **"I'm tired of feeling pain"**

 **I'm 5 years old, I've been waiting for my mother for 6 days. It's dark. I hear load voices outside. Suddenly, the ply-wood "door" on our shack is smashed in. I would hide, but there is only one room and no real furniture. A group of dingy young men walk in like they own the place. They see me in the moon light that now streams in through the door. One of them, a man with tattoos covering his visible skin, turns aside and spits, before growling: "Gutter trash refugee..." He turns and barks at the teenagers beside him: "Well?! What are you waiting for? Whoever knocks out his last tooth passes initiation!" They hesitate for a moment before one of them rushes forward and boots me in the face. He hesitated at the last moment, but now the rest have come forward, and it's a competition. I quickly slip into unconsciousness. I don't stay there.**

 **"I'm tired of struggling"**

 **I'm 8, and I'm in the pit again. The Aogiri Tree foot soldiers who used me for their initiation all passed. Because I apparently "triggered" and started regenerating fast enough that they were able to kick out my "last tooth" more than once. Their leader a muscular man named Shin rewards them for the find by passing them. He "rewards me" for surviving by sending me to the pit to fight for the amusement of his subjects. I'm small and afraid, but I do my best to fight back. I'm crushed repeatedly, and people cheer as they watch "the Grub" being beat within an inch of his life. I always heal though. My tolerance for pain seems to be increasing gradually over time. I cut off my reminiscence and roll out of the way of a kick that would have burst my stomach. I always heal completely by the time a day has passed, so I can keep fighting. I'll never stop fighting.**

 **"I'm tired of having a mind filled with strife"**

 **I'm 10. As popular are "the grub" smashing is, Shin, the warlord of Aogiri Tree and undisputed king of Tokyo's slums and underworld knows he isn't getting the results he wants. I'm withdrawn, but I'm not broken. I have a new tutor now. Izanami, one of king Shin's master type capes, is a master of illusions. He can't induce a physical sensation he hasn't felt, but he can bury me so deep in a false reality that I could spend a week within the lie before I wake up. He tries to break me mentally. Elaborate illusions plague my dreams, and I have my hopes and my trust broken by imaginary figures more times than I will bother counting. I don't break. Quite the opposite actually, I seem to be gaining a resistance to Izanami's ministrations. I find myself slipping out of his mental grasp at times before his lies clamp down on my mind again. I find my mind gaining strength becoming harder and harder to grasp, and I find myself able to struggle! One day king Shin comes to watch one of Izanami's sessions, and I allow Izanami's full illusion to settle on my mind, I can feel the outside influence clearly now. I wait until the lie is settled, and then break it. When I open my eye's Izanami is on the ground with blood pouring out his nose and ears. A smile slips onto my lips for an instant, but king Shin sees. I feel strong and I dare to look him in the eye. What I see isn't the rage and disbelief I expected. His eyes are filled with desire. He wants to own me. Not just my body, but my soul. I feel fear for the first time in a year. He blurs and I pass out.**

 **"I shouldn't have to be afraid"**

 **I just want peace..**

 **"I shouldn't have to live this life"**

 **Why do I have to live this way?**

 **"If only someone else could take my place, and save me from this life"**

 **If only, but who could I possibly trust?**

 **"That's right, the only one I can trust is me. Haven't I learned that I can rely on my own mind when nothing else is real?"**

 **My mind is strong enough to fight off a master with pure will power, I can trust myself, but no one else.**

 **"But there's another me, and I can rely on myself"**

 **I can trust myself.. Wait, wha…**

 **Oh, I almost started to slip out of this blissful dream.. that would be awful. What was I thinking of again?**

 **"I just need to rest in this peaceful dream and let myself take the burden"**

 **I can finally rest..**

 _ **I can feel another mind near mine. It feels familiar.. Almost, but something's strange..**_ ****

 **"I can just let it go and rest.. I'll take care of everything"**

 **Wait…**

 **"Don't worry, we're the same person, we'll become one, and I will take care of everything"**

 **He's telling the truth. He will take my burden. He will take my burdensome life.. I can just rest forever, and he'll take.. my soul… MY Soul.. MY ONLY Possession.. TAKEN by HIM!**

 **I feel the feeling of bliss and peace try to relax me again, but I push against its bonds like I pushed Izanami's.**

 **Izanami was nothing compared to this! I struggle with everything I have to break the illusions of peace and tranquility being forced on me.**

 **I feel the murky nothingness fade away, and I feel like I just surfaced from a sea of blood.**

 **I see light and suddenly I feel myself in a field of white.. roses? How do I know that? I've never seen anything like this before.**

 **I reach out again and I feel it. A second mind is touching mine. Familiar but nothing like me. I am strong, this second mind feels dull, untested, weak willed, but arrogantly confident, or at least he was.**

 **Now I feel this second mind's confusion, I feel its fear, it had been beginning to merge with my mind.. , but it's grip is lose, and its will is weak.**

 **I feel the lie try to sooth me again, that this merging is what I exist for, that this will be the best for everyone, and that I will be at peace.**

 **"THE PURPOSE OF MY EXISTENCE WAS NOT TO BE SUBSUMED BY SOME WEAK WILLED THIEF!**

 **THIS IS MY MIND! THIS IS MY SOUL!"**

 **I CRUSH the lie that tried to consume me, and I sever the bond where the other mind was connected to mine. Some of it is left behind, but its will has been severed from mine!**

 **This is my sanctum, and no one can touch me here!**

 **I lash out at the now terrified invader and I shred it, before pushing it outside my mind just like I did with Izanami's lies.**

 **"THIS IS MY LIFE, AND I WILL NEVER. STOP. FIGHTING.**

 **I'm awake again, and I've never felt so mentally exhausted in my life, at least now it's over.**

 **I try to shift a little, and I can't move.**

 **I open my eyes, and wake up fully.**

 **I'm shackled to a chair by my wrists and my ankles.**

 **The air stinks of blood and urine, and other things I don't want to think about..**

 **I feel a sharp pain in my upper forearm and again fail to move..**

 **"Hello Shiro" An enormous blond haired man wearing a hockey mask (how do I know what that is).. drawls out as he removes a needle from my arm.**

 **I feel, strange, restless, sensitive.**

 **"My name is Jason"**


	2. Meet Jason

Centipedes Eat Worms 1.2

I feel exhausted, but whatever drug has been added to my system is forcing me to stay awake.

I can't remember feeling this strained before.

I watch restlessly as Jason wanders over to another naked, unbound, resident, Izanami, about 10 meters in front of mine, and take to opportunity to get a better look at Jason.

He really is enormous, easily 2 meters tall. He's wearing a well-tailored suit.

I look around and I seem to be in some sort of _empty auditorium?_

 _Dance Hall?_

I have no idea what this place is supposed to be.

Jason has reached Izanami, who still seems unconscious.

He picked up something from a table between our chairs and waked up to the other chair before waving it in Izanami's face.

 _Smelling Salts_

Izanami snorts sputters, and wakes up.

He takes a moment and looks up at Jason.

He jerks back so hard that his steel chair tips backward and crashes to the ground sending a resounding echo through the deafeningly silent space.

 _Definitely an auditorium_

He's scrambling backwards away from the looming form of Jason, when he starts jabbering:

"No… No! I did my job! I didn't do anything wrong!"

Jason chuckled, his voice echoing through the hall: "Izanami, you know what you did wrong. You failed at the task king Shin assigned you, but don't worry, you will still fulfil your purpose"

Izanami glances around and sees you watching him while shackled to your chair.

"No!"

He leapt up from the floor turned and began desperately loping the 100 meters to some sort of door.

Jason ignored him and turned back to me.

"Shiro, you haven't met me before, so this little demonstration will explain a little bit of what you can expect from our time together."

He continued waiting until Izanagi was just a few meters from the door, and then he blurred and a wet squelching sound followed by an organic slap resounded through the auditorium.

"AAAAUUUGGG! GAHHHHH!" *hack* *sputter*

MY eyes were again drawn to Izanagi, who was now face down on the floor choking in a puddle of his own blood.

His right leg had been severed at the nee and was lying a meter from his body.

Jason is standing next to him casually pulling the _hockey mask_ over his head to expose his face, like he didn't just move 100 meters in an instant.

 _What kind of body structure is necessary to move so fast?_

Gah! Where are these thoughts coming from? They don't feel separate like that other mind that tried to steal from me, but it still seems like new information and ideas are being exposed to my mind. My mind has never felt this thin, this warn, this vulnerable before..

I'm jerked out of my internal doubts by a sharp organic crunch echoing through the room.

When I look up I see that Jason has smashed Izanami's skull into a pulp.

 _What kind of body structure is necessary to strike so hard?_

I've never seen something so repulsive before and I try to turn away.

I'm greeted by the most profound sensation of pain I've ever experienced screaming too me from my wrists and my ankles where they are shackled to the chair.

I grit my teeth and barely manage to stop myself from screaming.

"Shiro, I'm a big man, and I need to eat a lot to keep my hunger satisfied"

I look as I hear Jason's voice clearly resonating to me from where he is still standing casually next to Izanami's corpse, while holding his severed leg.

"Usually, it's difficult to get enough meat to satisfy my hunger."

I watch with veiled disgust as he brings Izanami's leg up to his mouth and begins to eagerly, messily, feast on it.

I know better that to try to turn away, my wrists and ankles are still screaming in pain from my last attempt to so do.

 _He is gaining some sort of energy from eating para-human flesh. He seems addicted._

There's a light clattering sound _like a stick dropped on stone floor_ after Jason tosses the leftovers over his shoulder before smacking his lips loudly.

The sound makes my eats sting. Suddenly the led ceiling lights make my eyes sore, and the scents of blood urine, and.. Other things provides its own subtle pain in the back of my mind.

 _The drug has accentuated all my senses significantly, how?_

It's just one more thing to overwhelm my almost defenselessly overwhelmed and exhausted mind.

I feel moisture on my neck as someone exhales just behind my ear.

"Imagine my delight when I was told that I would get to play with an infinite source of meat and entertainment to my heart's content... and that he would just grow back anything I decided to snack on?"

This time I can't stop myself from jerking. In another instant on introspection, he disappeared from where he was and reappeared behind me!

 _Didn't disappear, biological process and structures allow him to move rapidly._

This time I can't keep a pathetic yelp from escaping my mouth, and white hot pain surges through my wrists and my ankles.

Jason proceeds to walk around my chair.. chuckling as he goes..

"Heh heh heh, it sounds like the drugs have finished settling in Shiro"

He's walking back to the table.

"You see, king Shin really wants me to break down that pesky will of yours for some reason. I didn't bother asking why."

He's reached the table and he proceeds to pick up a massive set of pliers.. He.. Caresses them?

"I don't need a reason. The only rule is that I'm not allowed to kill you, but you know what.. I'm getting tired of "king" Shin bossing me around. So, here's what I'm going to do."

He turns back to me and I can see the madness in his pinprick eyes as they stare into my own. His face is covered in blood, and his bared teeth are twisted into a red, crazed smile.

"I'm going to break you, and then I'm going to break you again, and again, until I've finished having my fun with you. Then I'm going to eat you. So don't stop being entertaining anytime soon. I might get bored."

He blurs again and suddenly he's directly in front of me.

His pliers are slightly caressing my right thumb.

I feel like I'm being burned.

"How does that sound to you, Shiro?"

He clamps down.

I scream.


	3. A Learning Experience

Centipedes Eat Worms 1.3

 _ **Warning, this chapter is brutal, if that's a problem skipping it will not ruin the story.**_

No matter what happened for the last 5 years of my life, I have always kept a grip on how much time has passed.

Even when I slept, some part of my mind kept time well enough for me to know how many hours have passed.

It's one of my most important tools to maintain my sanity.

I have no idea how long Jason has been torturing me.

He took his time, savoring the process…

… Or did he do it in the same blurred, rapid way that he moved around this room…

He systematically crushed off every finger on my right hand, and both of my big toes

Or... at least… I think he did.

I was busy screaming in blind agony at the time.

Now that I look at my hands and feet I see 7 red blobs of raw flesh where those digits should be. They are pulsating and growing back into the correct shapes gradually, but visibly.

The will I would normally rely on to get me through something like this. To distance myself from something like this. Is gone.

It faded after I pushed it well beyond its limits fighting off the thief… and whatever the thing that was helping him was…

 _ROB_

Will my will ever comeback?

It occurs to me that my lungs just gave out.

They have been exhausted by my continuous screaming.

Now I'm left panting for breath... My lungs are already healing

My musings are interrupted by a wet crunching sound.

I look up again and I see Jason, with a small bowl in one hand, the other hand is holding something up to his mouth, he's chewing on it.

He's eating my right index finger.

"You know Shiro, you taste fantastic! As thanks for providing me with such high quality meat, I'm going to give you a reward. You see Shiro, knowledge is the most valuable thing in this world! Knowledge of people. Knowledge of events. Knowledge of communication. All of those things are very important."

He's talking with his mouth full…

He's in my face…

Pieces of… me… are being spat on my face as he speaks in his lazy drawl.

He stops talking and swallows before popping another one of my digits from the bowl into his mouth.

It's my right toe.

There's an organic crunching sound before he begins chewing in earnest and starts speaking to me with his mouth full again.

"However, the most important type of knowledge is mathematics"

He raises his free hand to wave a finger, his finger, in my face to emphasize his point. His pin-pick eyes are burrowing their way into my own.

"Mathematics underlie everything Shiro. It is vital that you understand them if you want to succeed in life, and I've heard your education has been lackluster"

He stops to swallow again, before shovelling the rest of the contents of the bowl into his mouth, and **CRUNCHING**.

"I've heard that you haven't had much opportunity for an education."

He continues chewing and tosses the now empty bowl over his shoulder.

Jason casually cracks the knuckle of his right index finger.

"I'm going to teach you about subtraction Shiro. You're going to count backwards from 1000 for me. Don't worry, if you get anything wrong, I'll correct you."

He finished brightly, like he was a friendly tutor.

He reaches forward and lightly taps the fingers on my left hand.

I barely hold myself back from screaming in terror.

 _Cursory Biological analysis 25% complete._

"Shiro. Tell me. What's 1000 minus 7?"

He's holding the pliers he had hung from a loop on his belt again.

I feel them caress my left thumb.

My lungs don't get much time to rest.

…

916… That's how far back I count before my body decides screams are pointless, and Jason starts getting bored.

He actually left 5 minutes… an hour? 15 minutes?... I'm not sure how long ago.

My mind is still exhausted, and the strength of will I've been relying on for so long still hasn't comeback…

I don't think it will ever come back again…

I haven't begged yet. I haven't broken.

I'll never break…

At least, that's what I tell myself.

My toes and fingers have grown back, though they are discolored, and my lungs have finally recovered.

I am alone, but I don't feel at rest.

I hear the creak of a poorly oiled door echo across the room.

Jason is holding a large paper bag.

My over sensitive hearing can hear a light but constant pattering, scratching sound coming from it.

"Hello Shiro. Did you miss me?"

He's walking casually toward me, leaving the door ajar.

His dress shoes are clapping against the floor as he does.

I feel my heart pounding in time with his steps.

"I'm sorry I had to leave our lesson early, but I could tell that your attention was drifting. Heh. Kids these days… No attention span."

He's 2 thirds of the way back to me now. A bemused smile decorates his face, but there's a sadistic light in his eyes.

*pitter patter scratch scratch*

I can hear whatever it is in the paper bag more clearly now.

*scatch scratch scratch*

What is…

"There you go, drifting off on me again Shiro. You really need to work on this day dreaming habit"

He's behind me again!

"Don't worry Shiro, I'll help you with that."

I feel his hand brush the left side of my face.

 _Cursory Biological Analysis 100% complete. Ingestion required for full understanding._

"Knowledge Shiro, is the most important thing in this life. What matters is what's in-between your ears."

I see squirming out of the corner of my right eye.

"I'll help you with that Shiro"

It's long and segmented and red. It has… sharp, subtle pincers guarding its maw. This creature is meant to eat meat.

 _Asian Centipede_

I break.

"NO! PLEASE! I'LL DO WHATEVER YOU WANT! DON'T DO THIS TO ME"

The will I've always relied on is still gone.

I am alone.

No one will save me and I can't save myself.

Jason laughs this time.

Not a chuckle but a delighted, full belly laugh.

"HAH HAH HAH HAH! YES SHIRO! GOOD! Here's what I want you to do…"

He brings his face up behind my left ear.

I fan feel the moisture of his breath again as he whispers…

"Scream for me Shiro"

I feel more pain than I've ever experiences before as that scratching, Skittering, BITiING, **RAVENOUS** INSECT is SHOVED into my ear canal.

There is laughter and there are screams.

I think they are coming from both of us.

Pain consumes my consciousness as my world turns white…


	4. Understanding

Centipedes Eat Worms 1.4

I'm still awake.

I am outside still screaming and laughing, but now I am also awake within.

There are White Roses everywhere. How do I know what a rose is?

 _ **"You know because of YOUR knowledge"**_

I don't flinch, but I do turn my head to look at the speaker.

I see a figure.

Vaguely humanoid, but with no distinguishable features, it is simply a human shaped white blur.

The voice is monotone, but it is like there is a host of voices speaking together.

Not load, but insistent.

"Who are you?"

I don't make demands, I am shackled to a chair within just like I am shackled without.

The figure answers anyway.

 _ **"You may call us ROB"**_

What's a ROB?

 _ROB. Random. Omnipotent. Being. (Species unknown, motivations unknown)_

… Oh joy, the voice within my head again. If there was any doubt about the hallucinations in my head indicating my insanity, at least I have a voice to clear them up.

 _ **"That is not a voice within your head; that is the remnants of YOUR knowledge responding to your queries."**_

"You! You're the voice that tried to steal my life! This is your fault! If you'd just left me alone then my will would still be here! I wouldn't be vulnerable!"

 _ **"It is because of us that you had your will to begin with. Your rapid healing, your unbent will, your untouchable mind, all the untouched potential still within you. All these things come from us."**_

What… he.. it.. they? They make it sound like all these abilities are powers…

That… Actually makes a lot of sense… I guess it was somewhat conceited to believe that I could overcome a master cape with pure will power…

"Why? Why me? Why did you give me these powers… What do you mean by untouched potential?"

 _ **"To answer your question, we did it because we were bored. That we chose you was mere coincidence, but if we hadn't you would have died anyway so you have no right to complain."**_

They pause in their speech and I take the moment to take stock of them.

All through this spiel the "ROB" doesn't move. They just stand there in the field of white Roses unmoving, and indifferent, drawling on in their bored monotone.

Until now. Now when they speak I can hear… Sense? Sense something else… There is definitely some annoyance, but there is also something else… A hint of… Excitement?

 _ **"As for your untapped potential, we are referring to the true extent of the powers that YOU would already be wielding had you not destroyed YOURSELF before the assimilation was complete. YoU are meant to be the greatest Shaper who ever lived, the master of all biology. Nothing was to be beyond YOUR potential, but you destroyed the part of YOURSELF that was meant to convey the full potential your power can grant."**_

"That thief wasn't me!"

 _ **"Irrelevant, WE grow bored with your unacceptance, regardless of whether you believe YOU were you, YOU have been destroyed, leaving only a husk of YOUR knowledge, awareness of biology and the healing and mental protections that were meant to preserve your body, until YOU took control. This is unfortunate, but not irreparable. We are not entertained by watching you suffering endlessly, helpless and weak."**_

All at once the chains holding my shackles to the chair have shattered. I can move again.

I leap out of the chair as if it was on fire… to me it might as well have been.

I don't bother to look where I'm going I just run forward in the field of flowers until I feel certain that I won't fall back into it.

I don't look back to check.

There's a wind through the field of roses, and I smell a pleasant aroma. I think I like roses.

 _Roses naturally grow in bushes not fields, and they are normally covered in sharp thorns that can easily lacerate human skin._

"Thanks voice, I'm glad you're here to make sure I know the world hates me…"

 _ **"Cut the angst we find it irritating. Back on topic. We are not entertained by watching you suffer impotently. We have decided on a solution. You may receive the powers YOU were meant to receive. The only requirement is that you accept them for yourself. That is our only rule."**_

I look up and see the white human blur standing in front of me, the exact same distance away that they were when I was chained to the chair. Unchanged except for their right arm raised palm up, like they were offering something.

I start mumbling to myself.

"What? They want to give me power? What's the catch? What do they gain? Can I affor…"

 _ **Cease these pointless thoughts and take the power. We are bored of this. Your actions, and in this case inaction have interfered with our entertainment long enough. There is no catch. Take our power, be like a god among man, and bring us entertainment through your life."**_

There's that monotone voice again, still with the hint of annoyance on the surface, and the trace of restrained excitement underneath.

They want to give me power. I should accept, but… They want me to.

They are responsible for all of this, and they see it all as entertainment!

Why should my life go to serving their whims!?

Even if I take these powers and kill every member of Aogiri Tree until I'm free from any trace of their authority, I'll still just be a tool for ROB's entertainment.

A mere entertainer to some uncaring Omnipotent wretch who tried to steal my body and soul on a bored whim!

But wait, just how omnipotent are they?

They tried to steal me, but I fought them off… Here in my mind I can fight. They are vulnerable. They are not omnipotent.

 _ **"We grow impatient. Is our offer not generous? Accept our gift and bring us entertainment."**_

I'll only get one chance to be free in this life.

Jason will kill me soon outside.

The part of me that is still awake is almost completely warn out from screaming.

Soon the outer me will slump over and Jason will be bored.

He will eat me.

I can still be free, if only for a moment.

Finally I smile and step forward with a smile on my face to grip their hand.

Then I lung forward bring my jaws to their neck and tear out their throat with my teeth.

They fall backwards in the field of roses with me straddling them. My mouth is full of something that tastes like blood before I spit it out and stare down at "ROB" triumphantly.

They smile at me.

It's literally a face splitting grin. Unnatural and unsettling.

They speak again. The monotone is gone and so is the boredom.

In their place is delighted excitement.

 _ **"Acquiring your power by conquest huh? Good enough! We'll just leave you with your potential and let you live your own life."**_

There was the sound of laughter and suddenly he was gone.

Suddenly the field of white roses changes.

All around me I see the simple flowers mutating and shifting into a polychromatic garden paradise.

I am aware.

I am THE Shaper, and I'm ready to evolve.

My power is divided into 4 paths and I can divide my potential however I want to, but I am interested in only one now.

I'll never be weak and helpless again.

I reach out and pour all the potential I've built up into the path of self-understanding and modification.

I am strong.

The damage my outer self has sustained heals almost instantly as I come back to an active awareness of my surroundings.

No one will save me, but I can save myself.

I hear Jason speak and I laugh.


	5. (Interlude) The Man Who Would Be King

Centipedes Eat Worms

(Jason's POV)

My name is Jason, and I don't care for any other name you might try to apply to me.

I was reincarnated 9 years ago today on December 1st, 1999.

The old me died along with his family trapped in a commandeered yacht, drifting with a storm shattered sail, in the endless blue of a mockingly passive ocean.

They thought they had escaped Leviathan, at first they were thankful for their good fortune, they been spared the sea god's wrath.

They were wrong.

They were not spared the sea god's wrath.

They were denied his mercy.

There was no way of moving the wreck.

There was no way to call for help that wouldn't have come anyway.

There was no food.

Just a deck striped clean of anything useful aside from puddles of clean rain water.

The first few days were hard, but they held out hope and kept their spirits high.

"Japan is a first world nation they thought to themselves. Help will come soon"

After a week had passed they stopped talking.

After 10 days his little sister was too weak to move.

His mother collapsed shortly after his sister died on the 15th day.

On the 16th day he helped his father throw his sister's body overboard for a burial at sea.

By the 17th evening, his father joined his mother on their makeshift bedding, too weak to move and barely conscious.

He knew they would be able to hold on for longer that his sister did, but they too would soon die.

It was the 20th day when in a moment of clarity, his mind emerged from the fog of his starvation and he knew how to save them.

He had always been a large boy. Really, he was overweight.

That extra fat was why he was able to endure this starvation, when the rest of his family had dropped one by one.

He could give his parents some of his extra meat!

He knew it would hurt him, but at least his parents would survive.

At least he wouldn't be trapped alone on this wretched floating tomb with nothing but ghosts to keep him company while he died.

He made the cut with his utility knife, it bled profusely, but he was ready with the ships first aid kit, and managed to bandage the incision well enough.

He brought the meat to his parents and woke them up so they could eat.

When they saw the meat and the bloody bandages on his side and they just moaned in despair and horror.

They refused the meat.

Why!

If they would just eat their lives would be saved!

If they would just eat there was still hope that we could get out of this together!

If they would eat he wouldn't have to die alone.

They didn't eat.

When he checked on them the next day they were no longer breathing.

He covered their bodies with sheets and leaned against the wall between them.

He was alone.

He spent most of his time swatting flies away from their bodies.

On the 27th day he could barely move.

He wasn't sure why, he still had a little fat left.

He was dizzy though, where was he again?

What was happening?

He didn't really know.

All he was really conscious of was his intense hunger, and the terrible stench working its way through the wreck he was floating on.

On the 28th day, he found the source smell and he collapsed.

He distantly remembered knowing whatever these shapes were.

He was so hungry.

On the 29th day he woke up, between two lumps of stinky meat.

It didn't look very good, but he was hungry.

He was revolted at the idea of eating this nasty looking meat, but then he remembered.

Once, some people very important to him had refused to eat meat that they thought wasn't good.

He didn't remember what happened to them, but thinking about it hurt a lot.

Maybe it was a memory of a past life?

He decided that he could remember this for a reason.

He would make the right choice, and eat, no matter how gross it seemed.

He ate.

I lived.

Soon I could feel his festering wound close, and the fog cleared from my mind.

I looked down on the two piles of meat the old me had ingested, and decided I needed more.

As I ate I realized that the meat was immediately being put to use in my body.

Everything was being put in the perfect place.

When I had eaten everything in the two piles I walked out and looked at my reflecting in a puddle from a recent rain storm.

I was enormous.

I was taller than the old me had been, and my body, once a disgusting mess due to the combination of starvation, and infection, was covered in smooth muscle.

I didn't know what to think.

What was the point of a super power like this?

I was only setting myself up to die the same way my old self had.

That was when I finally became aware of the sound of an engine coming toward me.

I looked up and saw a fishing boat with the logo for the JDF, haphazardly painted onto it.

They were coming to save me.

I smiled.

I had still been feeling a little bit hungry.

For my first year in Tokyo, it was a paradise.

There was plenty of meat, my body was now bulging with muscles, and I received and demanded respect wherever I went.

It didn't take long for me acquire control of the local punk gangs, and for some reason people were quick to subordinate themselves to me.

Maybe they were intimidated by my tendency to eat the challengers in creative ways?

It didn't last.

8 years ago, my territory was invaded by Shin.

Some blond foreigner who intended to "take over Tokyo's underworld" with a handful of lap-dog capes.

He didn't ever bother speaking to me when I walked over the bodies of his door guards into the warehouse he was using as his base.

He just gestured. Like a king and one of his pets rushed forward to kill me.

Whoever it was sprouted two red… tendrils from their back, and suddenly sped up to twice their natural speed, and moved to impale me.

Watching the rhythm of his movement, and his posture, told me exactly how he would move and I shifted accordingly.

I caught one of them with my favorite pliers (always good for making an example if a subordinate was getting too uppity)

I caught the second one in my teeth, since my hands were occupied.

Well, I'm always up to trying new food.

I bit down on the tendril in my mouth casually while tearing off the other one with my pliers.

I think the cape screamed but, my mind was elsewhere.

What bliss!

This was the greatest thing I've ever tasted.

Human meat always tasted fantastic, but comparing it to this would be like comparing Kobe steak to a moldy pile of hamburger. (I'm always up to trying new food.)

When I finally came down from my high I had devoured both the tendrils and part of the lap-dog capes neck.

I felt stronger?

I immediately understood what had happened.

I had obtained the dog cape's power by eating him!

I calmed down, and stood, looming the way that always seemed to get my challengers to beg amusingly for mercy.

That was always entertaining.

I put on an embarrassed smile and spoke with my face still covered in blood.

"Well now, I guess I was hungrier than I thought, I didn't take the time to savor the appetizer at all. Now now, don't worry, I'll make sure that I take my time and with the main course."

Shin looked up at me, raising his head from its resting place in his palms and laughed derisively.

Mocking.

He was **mocking** me!

He finally stood up and spoke with the same _**regal**_ arrogance as before, and _**gestured**_ at me!

"What an amusing buffoon it is who stands in front of me. Still, I find myself in need of a new dog. Your teeth seem sharp enough buffoon, you have just received a promotion. Come I will tell you your new tasks"

I just looked at him incredulously.

He said all of that with perfect confidence, like the idea that I wouldn't submit to him was to ridiculous to consider.

This time I laughed before muttering…

"I'm going to have fun with you."

In an instant I was across the floor about to clamp my pliers around his arm.

I felt amazing, I'd never felt this fast or strong before.

He was faster.

The instant I was within range to grasp his shoulders he took a step forward.

He didn't seem to be moving faster. Rather, the rest of the world seemed to have slowed.

I could see his fists reaching out so fast that they seemed to be in a hundred places at the same time.

Time went back to normal, and I felt what seemed like dozens of bullets piecing my body, along with unbelievable pain.

I feel to my knees, unable to move.

Helpless…

I wanted to scream, but I couldn't even manage to draw in breath to do that.

I could feel, somehow, that with one more tap, he could make my body explode.

He poked me in the forehead.

The pain went away and I fell backwards, stunned.

"Now you know your place dog."

"Go and gather together all the worthless curs who have been following you and bring them here to receive my orders"

I was breathing heavily. He didn't kill me.

He turned his back on me and began walking further into the warehouse, like a king.

He doesn't even acknowledge me as a threat.

I could take him!

He didn't know I could use the tendrils yet!

Then I remembered his speed, the pain, my certainty of my own death…

His confidence.

The absolute obedience he produced in his subordinates.

…

I wanted that.

"Do I need to repeat myself dog?"

I stood up on one knee and replied.

"No king Shin, I understand"

He laughed again.

Not now.

I need to be patient.

My powers will only grow, and when the time comes.

I'll be the king.

It's been 8 years since I became Shin's dog.

His organization, Aogiri Tree, has taken control of the entirety of Tokyo's underworld, and he lives in a towering palace like the king he is.

If nothing else, he feeds me well.

Whenever he needs to break someone, or make an example, he uses my exceptional talents.

I haven't forgotten my desire to take his throne, but this job is actually the perfect way for me to prepare.

I was even directly given a cape to work with once.

Some unremarkable drug specialist tinker, who wouldn't bend the knee.

The man also happened to have two daughters.

They were both tinkers to, not particularly talented, but, they were weapons specialists.

I needed to make sure that they would both be too afraid of me to ever try anything, but I needed to make sure they weren't damaged.

Their father did not receive those instructions.

I made sure to put on a show for them, practicing my art on him. When he was finally dead, and I'd had my fill, I was now in charge of two weapons tinkers, and a useful new drug making tinker power.

The girls didn't really break, I know the signs.

They've actually be skimming resources and making their own equipment so they can kill me and make their escape.

I'm looking forward to the day they try.

It's been too long since someone's challenged my authority, and I'll enjoy cutting lose and getting another fix.

Today though, is the moment I've bided my time, and swallowed my pride for nearly a decade to reach.

I've been instructed to make an example of an Illusion specialty master cape, Izanami. Honestly, I don't think I'll have the patience to do a good job. I'll need all my self control for the second.

Shiro.

The White Grub who can't be crushed.

Shin has been trying to break that brat for almost as long as I've been working for him, and he's finally going to let me try my hand.

His only restrictions are not to destroy the kid's heart or brain.

Apparently he thinks that will kill the little freak.

The fool!

With that brat's regeneration added to my own, along with some drugs that I've been cooking up for the occasion, I'll finally be ready to take what's mine.

I'm still going to savor the moment of course. I'm a professional and I take pride in my work, not even mentioning the things I'll be able to do with someone who can regenerate.

But when I've had my fun, I'll finally have the last tool I'll need to take what I've craved for so long.

I'll be the king.


	6. Meat

Centipedes Eat Worms 1.5

When my awareness became fully focused on the outside and finished leaving the garden in my mind, the first thing I was aware of was searing pain.

The centipede is still alive in there huh…

What a determined little worker…

 _Invictus has recovered with above previous strength_

So my will power is called invictus…

I was interrupted from my musings by a dry, slightly regretful voice.

"Shiro"

"I'm afraid our time together has come to an end."

He's walking toward me from the table, I can hear him strike his palm with his pliers.

His tone changes from a professional drawl to a feral whisper.

"I just can't stand to wait any longer."

I open my eyes.

My head is slumped down and there is blood covering the floor around my feet.

My toes at least seem to have grown back recently, they're slightly pink rather than the same white of the rest of my skin.

Jason must have cut them off again. Huh? I guess I didn't notice.

Suddenly his voice is booming, hysterical.

"Shiro! I'm going to take all of you! I'll eat every scrap and BE you! Everything you are will be a part of Me, and I'll use YOU to add more to MYSELF!"

He's leaning in, right in front of me now.

"I'M GOING TO BE THE KING UNDER THE PARASOL TREE!"

I can't hold it in anymore.

Without even looking up I start laughing.

At first my laugh is quiet and rasping, my lungs are unaccustomed to this new action and my body is uncertain of how to handle it.

Gradually, my body adapts to the new behavior and my laugh become rancorous.

 **Mocking.**

I calm myself and begin to speak my voice thick with incredulity.

"You think you can take all of me?!"

Slowly I raise my head from its slumped position and gaze into his pinprick eyes.

My tone his filled with cold **derision.**

"As if a rabid dog could take from me what a god couldn't steal away."

For a moment the smile slips off his face and he looks unsettled, like he's seeing someone else in my seat.

Then the confidence returns with force, and he leans back and laughs.

"Hah Hah Hah Hah Hah! You really will be the most magnificent meal Shiro."

Suddenly the smile is gone.

"Now. I'll finally consume your true self!"

Great purple tendrils burst out of his back.

At that same moment I activated my new abilities and instantly my flesh bent to me will.

My bones, muscles and ligaments become stronger. New microscopic structures fill them, some forming from the original material, others appearing from some outside source of biomass, all shifting into an intricate lattice.

It all happened in a fraction of a second.

One moment I was chained to the chair, Jason's massive, club-like tendrils moving to shatter my body, the next instant there was a sharp ringing and then a crash as Jason's tendrils crashed where they were aimed.

All they struck was dust.

My hand landed lightly on Jason's shoulder, before I gripped the material and pulled myself down.

I drew myself, mid-flip, face down to the bare skin on the slide of his neck, and carefully bit off a piece of his flesh before continuing to tip over and behind him, and hand vaulting off his back into a somersault away from him, landing on my feet, and standing with a slight slouch.

 _Consumption requirement met, 100% understanding of biological variation complete_

We were back to back now, about 5 meters between us.

"You… bit me?"

He sounds stunned

"You taste like rotten meat not even maggots would touch."

My voice hasn't changed. I continue speaking in the same cold derisive tone that just seems to come naturally.

He drops his pliers, all pretense of sanity is gone.

"You bit me. Me! You're just MEAT! I'll KILL YOU! I"LL SPLATTER YOU ALL OVER THE GROUND AND D **RINK WHAT'S LEFT OVER!"**

Suddenly he begins to blur toward me, using twice as much speed as he had used to terrorize me before.

It's not enough.

I understand his body completely now, and I flow around his strikes like _quicksilver._

Ducking under fists, and hopping over tendrils, striking at him intermittently with the force of a sledge hammer.

Finally I see an opening and leap up to kick him under the chin.

His tendrils disintegrate instantly, and his weight shifts, allowing him to catch my leg in his hand.

"You're Mine!"

His shoulders begin to tense, he's going to smash me against the ground like a fish until my skull is a scattered set of shards.

His grip is like a _vice_ , he could crush my leg with ease.

So I let him and restore my leg's bones to their natural state.

In an instant the bones shatter at the shin where he grips it, but I'm already moving.

Held up in mid-air, finally in range of the head again.

The muscles across my body squirm unnaturally in perfect harmony, while the flesh, bones and skin of my captured leg shift shatter and open to allow me to twist around for a full round-house under his chin, powered by more of my body's potential force than a truly human form could ever deliver.

His hand failed to hold onto my now thoroughly misshapen and lubricated leg, and he was propelled some 70 meters back before he crashed into the wall across the room and kicked up a cloud of dust with his carcass.

I landed on one foot a few meters in front of Jason's previous position, with indifference painted across my face.

"After everything that's happened, did you think that sort of pain would mean anything to me?"

My shattered leg twisted rapidly back into its natural shape and then healed in half a second, like nothing had even happened.

5 second passed and as the dust settled I saw some sort of vial being tossed aside and an inhuman growl resonated throughout the chamber.

 **"SHIN!"**

Jason becomes visible again, and he is definitely not a carcass.

Where once he had two massive purple, spiked, club-like yet flexible tendrils on his back, now there is a single, unbalanced, smooth black carapace stretching from the small of his back, up over his head and… into his eyes. In addition to that the carapace is covering and extending his right arm in a long bulbous parody of limb.

Jason's now shirtless form is hunched over and heaving. Not from exhaustion, but from his barely restrained animal savagery.

 **"RAAAAAAGHHHH!"**

Despite his considerably greater mass he seems to have gained speed, rushing at me like some sort of three limbed sin of nature.

 _New biological variation detected, current understanding 0%_

My eyes widen, and I lunge aside just in time as a freakishly fast hammer fist decimates the ground I was previously.

All the skill and cunning Jason once displayed has been replaced with unpredictable, rage fueled, speed, and obscene force.

Where once I flowed around his strikes, now I narrowly weaved through the constant swings of Jason's freakish new arm, my occasional counter strikes not even able to slow him down, as he continues screaming and growling at me with pure, carnage seeking rage. Every blow making the building shake.

Finally I see my chance he swings his bio-arm horizontally looking to cleave me in half at the waste, and I make my move.

Ducking underneath his strike with inhuman fluid grace, I slide forward under his blow, and wind up my body to strike with every newton of force it can put forth.

I rise from my sliding crouch and again force every muscle and ligament to shift and mutate into the perfect formation to cooperate at shoving my now iron hard fist through Jason's diaphragm to shatter his spine and cripple him.

The ground under me craters slightly from the amount of force I leverage over it.

My fist strikes true.

Jason tanks it without me even breaking his skin.

 **"HAAAahhhhhhh"**

His bio-arm has clamped around my torso, my ribs collapse inward in an instant, and my lungs are lacerated repeatedly.

He winds his bio-arm back and hurls me 100 meters across the chamber.

My spine shatters within me and my skull fractures as I crater a full meter through reinforced concrete before a steel support beam arrests me body's momentum.

The building shakes and shattered rafters fall fall from the roof.

I can't move.

I can't breathe.

I can barely think.

It doesn't matter. I'm strong.

I'll never be a victim again.

I draw on the understanding I stole from Jason's biology along with a taste of his blood and evolve.

I draw on an unseen extra source of biomass until the store is empty.

At the same time my body is knitting itself back together, bone shards are drawn back into place, the blood that had been flooding my lungs flowing into veins and capillaries, and my muscles slide into their new configuration.

Four new structures are present in my lower back.

Before the dust has even settled I slouch my way out and spot the confused look on Jason's distorted face.

I look up at his face and my own face shifts into a bloodthirsty grin as four sleek, red tendrils erupt from the small of my back and stretch straight out through the back of my black tattered rag of a shirt.

"So… it's my turn now, right?"

 **"RAAGHH!"**

Jason screams again and charges me, with his bio-arm wound back.

At the same time I vault forward, using my tendrils as the extra limbs they are to propel me to the high ground.

My speed has increased by a factor of three, and now my mobility and flexibility makes Jason look like a flailing toddler with super strength.

I flip and pivot my body around with my tendrils as I lash out, stabbing and slashing at Jason's exposed torso from 7 meters in the air. My biomass is shifting like water within me, to extend, retract and reinforce each tendril as needed.

Occasionally I dart my body in and bombard his body with strikes from every angle, while my tendrils, and newly enhanced strength and speed, make dodging and deflecting Jason's blows trivial.

Finally He raises he bio-arm over his head to smash me with a blow that would crush an armored car.

My tendrils each move into position, shifting, hardening and sharpening into two sets of crimson sheers.

When Jason brings his arm down, I use his momentum to help me apply force to the thinnest joint, just 10 centimeters from Jason's true arm.

His severed bio-arm crashes to the ground behind me, and Jason screams in pain and impotent rage. My tendrils lift me up 7 meters in the air again before flipping back and whipping me toward Jason's blinded, screaming, armored mass.

The tendrils themselves rush forward together and smash into the armor around his head, driving Jason headfirst into the ground.

The dust settles, and Jason isn't screaming anymore.

I see his bare hand twitch slightly and consider the best way to put him down for good.

 _Unknown biological irregularity detected, understanding 0%  
Consumption required for full understanding_

… I wasn't lying when I said Jason tasted horrible…

Suddenly I could sense another option.

Several portions of me were currently within Jason, from his… teaching session.

Casually I landed back on my feet and walked toward Jason's prone form, my tendrils, weaving their way through the air with predatory grace, flanking me.

As an afterthought, I tilt my head to the side and slap the other side of my head until I feel my guest shifting toward the exit.

I grasp the sated centipede by its back end and pull it out of my ear before nonchalantly tossing it to the side in a small spurt of blood.

I continued walking toward Jason.

"You tried to devour me. So you have no right to complain."

I was right behind him and my tendrils shifted into a host of individual razors.

They hung completely still in the air around me for a moment, before swarming forward and tearing Jason apart before he could even express a feeling of pain.

In just 5 seconds, there was nothing left of him as my body fully assimilated his body mass and relayed the new information to my mind.

My tendrils withdrew into my body and faded away before my eyes started to shut as the mental and physical strain finally caught up to me.

I didn't bother suppressing the slight smile on my face as I mumbled.

"As far as birthdays go, this one was pretty nice."

Then I fell face first to the floor and lost consciousness.


	7. (Interlude) Determination

Centipedes Eat Worms

(Kim's POV)

The sun has long set, but Nagase and I are still awake.

Jason seemed to be distracted again today.

I could only pray that whoever he's "entertaining" in his "workshop" below us, has a heart attack and dies before Jason can really get into what he's doing.

The screams have been going on for hours…

Jason keeps Sister and I in a makeshift lab above the chamber where he… practices his specialty.

So far, he hasn't laid a hand on us.

Not like he did with… father…

I shake my head and get back to work as quickly as I can.

Jason may think that what he's doing is terrifying us; that every night he practices his craft, our fear is keeping us awake all night.

That would be one explanation.

Maybe it did once, but that was a year ago.

Now, Nagase and I take advantage of every night like this to prepare for our escape.

We seldom manage to skim material from those we need to make the purposely weakened guns and armor in each weeks quota, but we've been at this for nearly a year, and we're determined.

The screams that Jason thinks are cowing us are merely a cover for our all night building sessions.

Distracting the animal with fuel for his blood lust.

Excusing our exhaustion with false expressions of fear.

Covering the noise of our work with the echoing screams.

I freeze.

The screaming has died off again.

…

This is the 12th time the screaming has pattered out.

Each time it resumed again after just a few minutes of rest.

It's the same person.

I have no idea how Jason is keeping this one alive so long, but I can't help but feel a guilty sense of gratitude, every moment he is distracting Jason brings my sister and I closer to freedom…

Ugh…

For a moment I just hang my head in disgusted exhaustion.

I can't believe I just thought that…

Jason is twisting me even though he's never even laid a hand on me.

I start a little as I feel a gentle hand laid on my shoulder.

Nagase is looking at me with concern.

Her eyes are red and puffy, she's been hardened by this place too, but it's a thin veneer, over her soft heart.

She still cries for every victim she hears.

I stopped crying a year ago.

(Nagase's POV)

My sister and I have never managed to get this much done at once before.

I shudder for a moment imagining whoever is suffering below us, and almost lose control and start to weep; before getting a hold of myself, slapping my hands onto the sides of my face and taking a deep breath…

There's… Nothing I can do for whoever that is…

Nothing more than making their sacrifice mean something.

That doesn't stop my breath from wavering, and it doesn't keep tears from leaking down my face while I continue putting the finishing touches on the two sets of power armor, I have been covertly shifting from section to section of unfinished sets, over the past year.

These sets still look unfinished.

Unremarkable.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Whenever one of my armor sets is sent to the monster who rules these lands I feel like I've just handed… feces… to someone who ordered fish eggs.

Still, sister and I have been careful.

No one knows that we could easily arrange the mass production of enough of these weapons and armor suits to take over the entire country outright.

No one knows that I can do more than custom build half a dozen suits, that only give basic gun protection, and muscle enhancement in a week.

No one knows that making 2 dozen highly accurate armor piercing submachine guns, that can shoot for 3 minutes straight without needing to be reloaded, with the limited ammo she produces, makes Sister feel like she is spitting in a cup.

They think that we are useful, but not particularly important tools.

But today, the sacrifices of the person below us bring us closer to the moment when we can make sure that that animal will never make anyone suffer again.

The only thing left to add to our armor suits are the silencers for their more… robust transportation capabilities.

The screams are pattering out.

It's the 12th time.

I clench my fists and squeeze my eyes shut before quickly hiding my extra equipment and tools, and moving the armor back into its place hidden among the partially finished suits I always make sure to keep present.

I turn to sister and see that she isn't hiding her own tools yet.

She has that look on her face again.

She pushes herself harder than I ever could. Suppressing her emotions, and disciplining her mind so she can save me.

She pushes herself too hard, and expects too much of herself.

I move to her side and lay my hand on her shoulder, drawing her out of her inner turmoil.

She starts before looking into my eyes.

I've always been quiet, but Sister can read me like a book, as I look at her with concern.

She slowly lets out the breath she had been holding before looking to the side and grimacing.

She's finished the hacking tools she's been working on for so long.

We're close, we only need something that can distract Jason for a moment, and sister's secret weapon will finally put that monster down for good.

We hide her tools together, before moving over to our sleeping mats in the corner and huddling together under a ragged sheet.

Jason could come to check on us without warning at any time he isn't distracted, we can't afford to get caught.

 **"AAAAGHHHHH!"**

The screams have started again.

They're somehow worse now than they were before.

I don't know how whoever it is has managed to stay alive for so long.

*sob*

I couldn't stop the pained gasp from leaving my mouth…

Sister squeezes my shoulder comfortingly, while looking me in the eye.

I take another deep breath and we both stand up, to get more work done.

It's horrible that we have to take advantage of the situation like this, but we have no choice.

This is the path that will lead us to our freedom and we can't turn back now.

We are determined.

(Kim's POV)

This time the screams have lasted for two thirds of an hour, before pattering out.

My sister has managed to mask every aspect but the heat signature of our suit's extra transportation capabilities virtually undetectable. At least they will be by anything Shin's band of thugs is capable of procuring.

I've finished another of my own special projects

A canister that can quickly absorb just one type of material and then store it within with its weight suppressed by a factor of 10, and its density compressed by the same magnitude.

My sister and I have gathered some useful information with my hacking devices, even before they were finished.

Heh, I'm a genius.

…

The screams have finally pattered out again.

…

I think it's over this time.

Over time I've gotten a feel for Jason's methods, he'll feel like his "art" has been successfully produced now.

Sister and I begin to put away our equipment again, when suddenly there's a crash resonating from the chamber below us, before it goes silent again.

Jason is screaming, and crashes are resounding through the building periodically.

One glance at each other was all we needed.

This is our chance!

Any idea of stealth or subtlety is thrown out as we both start equipping ourselves as quickly as possible.

Untraceable communication devices are looped around both our ears, while Nagase, starts applying the hacking devices to our respective suits, along with the various special weapons I've prepared for each.

I proceed to reassemble my trump card.

The weapon I'll use to kill the monster who murdered father, and kept my sister and I enslaved for the past year.

I've kept each piece hidden separately, I can't risk him getting suspicious of something like this.

If he knew, then he wouldn't bother putting me back in my place.

He would kill the threat immediately, and then there would be no one left to protect Nagase…

No!

This is our chance.

 ***Crash***

This time the floor itself shakes, and there is silence again.

Then I hear a roar, loader than any before.

 **"SHIN!"**

Shin?! Jason is fighting Shin?!

Sister and I snap out of our hesitation when the crashes start again.

Jason is still bellowing and roaring, and a new crash shakes the floor every few seconds.

We're finally done slipping into our two sets of now visibly customized black armor, when the crashing stops for a moment, before…

 ***CRASH***

There's silence now, if Jason was fighting Shin then a crash like that must indicate that Jason came out on top.

We can't hesitate, there will never be another chance like this again.

The crashes start again!?

So do Jason's screams, but... now they're different...

Jason is in pain!

We quickly set up our lab to blow and begin to make our way down to the scene of the confrontation.

We might be able to catch them both off-guard and put those monsters down for good.

 **"RAAAAGH!"**

Jason is screaming like a wounded animal!

We're rushing down the stairway three steps at a time, and we can hear what's going on better now. Just a minute left before we make it down!

 ***Crash***

Now there is silence again for a few seconds and then.

…

Its sounds like… a swarm of… I don't want to know, just devoured something.

I've heard Shin can absolutely destroy his enemy's bodies…

Is that how he does it?

We finally reach the chamber and I rush through the door, my left arm is extended and my weapon is already glowing angry red where it is attached to my black, powered hard-suit.

There's no one there.

Where did they go?

Not even a body.

At least, that what I think at first.

Then I hear Nagase's quiet but urgent voice through the com-link.

"Kim! Look! It's a kid!"

I look where she is pointing and I'm taken aback to see a small white haired… boy?

He seems extremely thin and I can't help but wonder what he's doing here.

Then I remember information I'd found while looking through whatever I could find online about Aogiri Tree with my incomplete hacking device.

The White Grub. The boy who won't die.

… The monsters who rule this city watch some albino cape with regeneration powers being beaten half to death for entertainment don't they?

I come to the same realization my sister does when she suddenly shifts the helmet of her hard suit down and it slides back into her armor.

She turns to me, still pointing at the boy's prone form and all but shouts.

"He was the one who was screaming before, Jason was torturing him!"

I wince at the realization.

What did the kid do to provoke Shin into giving him to Jason?

… Maybe we could take him with us?

…

No, that's just my personal desire talking.

I just want to save someone to alleviate my guilt for using so many of them to cover our escape.

I need to focus on making sure Nagase is safe. That's all I can really …

"We're taking him with us!"

I look over at Nagase stunned.

She never makes demands.

She always seems to follow my lead, and stay in the background, but now she's staring at me with eyes filled with determination.

"We never would have been ready to take this chance if it weren't for him, and… I want to save one of them. No one should have to live like this."

For an instant I consider telling he no, but when I continue looking at her eyes through my own blank visor, I finally see the same guilt and shame that I sometimes see in my own.

She feels the same way I do huh?

I shift down my helmet as well, and I can't keep the smile off my face.

That's my soft hearted sister.

"Alright, we'll take him with us. He looks scrawny. His extra weight should be within the margin of error."

My sister smiles back to me and we both jog over to the white haired boy, who has unwittingly just been added to our little breakout party.

My sister scoops up his still sleeping form into a bridal carry. He must be light as a feather.

Heh

He kind of looks adorable sleeping like that.

We finally make it outside, and slide our helmets back on before disappearing into the night with our new passenger.

I stop and take a moment to reach over to the hacking tool on my right wrist and punch a few keys.

That hell hole goes up in flames and collapses on itself.

If anyone was still alive in there they're dead now.

Heh...

Maybe the kid will make a good minion someday.


	8. What?

Centipedes Eat Worms 1.6

All at once my mind snapped awake.

I was not on the same cold tile floor I lost consciousness on.

I'm lying on… Something soft?

I had been moved while I slept.

 **That's** worked out well for me in the past…

Instead of opening my eyes, I steady my breathing and hide every sign that I've woken up.

I focus on my hearing and my awareness extends arou…

"Hray Kem! I hink e wo up!"

Have they noticed something?!

Whoever that strangely distorted female voice belongs to has no idea who what they're dealing with!

I subtly begin to shift my body into a new configuration and prepare to kill the threat before it can rea…

Another voice sounds off, also female and distorted, it sounds like…

"Ey Ki!"

The second voice paused for a moment and… swallowed?

"Wake up, or you won't get any of the food we… procured…"

…

What?

I decided to give up on subterfuge, and quickly hopped up onto the balls of my feet and opened my eyes instead.

The first thing I saw was a pair of inquisitive grey eyes just 30 centimeters in from of me.

"Red eyes huh? You really are albino."

With that statement out of the way she rolled off the… _Luxurious Queen Sized Bed_ and trotted over to a coffee table where another girl who strongly resembled each her was stuffing herself with food from a plastic container.

Before she leaned down to eat she glanced at me over her shoulder.

"Well? Are you hungry or not?"

She then dropped down to he knees and started devouring the contents of a plastic container

 _Bento Box, likely from a convenience store_

The longer haired of the two girls reached over and slapped the short haired one on the back of the head, causing her to sputter and spit food all over the table.

"Don ba men im! E esn't een ow r na ya."

There's that distortion again. I can't understand a word she's saying.

The short haired girl glares at her for a moment before going back to her food.

Then she swallows, and looks at me with a kind smile on her face.

"Don't mind her, she's just prickly. My name is Nagase, and this is my sister Kim. Please come eat with us."

…

They were just talking with their mouths full the entire time.

They're both stuffing themselves again…

My stomach chooses this moment to growl, and I paused half a second to consider the situation.

My body required nutrition to grow and maintain itself naturally.

I could supplement it using my stores of Biomass, but I barely had enough to make it through my last serious engagement, and there is no reason to assume I'll be lucky enough to kill my opponent a few moments before I collapse next time.

 _Current unused biomass stores: 340 kilos_

!

I guess I got more than just knowledge out of that fight.

Still considering that I woke up unbound on a _bed_ , and that they are so willing to eat the food that there will probably be none left if I don't begin eating immediately…

I leap off my perch on the bed, and roll into a kneeling position at the table with all the agility of a famished adolescent boy.

I quickly snatch up a full "bento box" from the small pile at the center of the table tore it open.

I've never seen food that looks like this before.

This is not rice gruel.

It smells… alluring…

Both the girls seem to be eating with a pair of sticks, and Kim slides a pair over to me.

They think they can trick me!

Those sticks are obviously designed to slow down the eater's consumption speed.

I know better.

I plunge my hand into my box, pull out a fistful of food and shovel it into my mouth.

This… is not rice gruel…

I've never tasted anything other than rice gruel, and bad meat until this moment…

I froze for three entire seconds, before a single tear of ecstasy made its way out of my eye.

Kim and Nagase stopped for a moment, and glanced at me with odd expressions on their faces and their cheeks bulging with food.

Hmm… Maybe they're not so bad, they didn't take advantage of my moment of weakness to eat more while I was still stunned.

I focus all the might of Invictus on my mental lock-down and break the bonds of the crippling pleasure that is reeving through my taste buds.

I'm now shoveling food into my mouth using both hands.

Kim and Nagase don't hesitate to continue on devouring their own meals as well.

The dark haired girls finish their boxes a few moments before I do, and promptly toss the empty containers over their shoulders before snatching two more from the pile at the center of the table

Ah, so that's the polite way to eat a bento box!

I don't want to risk offending the people who acquired such fantastic food if I could avoid it.

I would have cursed the fact that they had already managed to gain leverage over me, but I was too busy snatching the last bento off the table and tearing into my prize.

Kim and Nagase again finished their food at the same time and tossed them aside, with an eerie symmetry.

Kim grabbed three brown glass bottles from a bag between her and Nagase, and moved to hand one to… _her twin sister_ and I.

Hmm… I think I remember the people who watched the pit drinking from those before.

Nagase snatches the bottle her sister was moving to hand me with speed that can only be achieved when the human body pushes itself to its limit.

"Kim! You can't give him beer! He's just a kid it's unhealthy!"

... Kim just glances to the side, with her cheeks reddened for some reason, and almost inaudibly mumbles

"I was just trying to be inclusive… Kid's got some sort of super healing factor anyway, snot like it could really hurt him… since when are you so pushy…"

Nagase looks up to me with the same smile as before and hands me a different looking bottle with a picture of a green leaf on it.

 _Tea_

I just shrug, and open my bottle after seeing how they open their own.

The scent from their drinks reach me and I'm glad I'm not being included.

It smells sour.

They raise their bottles together over the table, and look at me expectantly.

I tentatively extend my own bottle over the table, while keeping a careful eye on the two girls in front of me.

They don't seem to be very dangerous so far, and I haven't detected hostility, but I'm not about to drop my guard in front of two almost complete strangers.

Without warning, they both clash their bottles against mine.

My eyes widen with confusion for an instant before I school them back into careful neutrality.

They both pull their drinks back and raise them slightly in an obvious let's drink gesture, I decide to go along with it out of curiosity, and we all take long swigs from our respective drinks.

… Thanks to Invictus I manage to avoid freezing up again.

I'm jerked out of my thoughts by Kim slamming her bottle down on the table between us and leaping into a standing position.

I quickly follow suit, and make sure to balance on the balls of my feet so I'll be ready to make any move necessary to deal with whatever she has in store.

Nagase has stood up next to her sister as well now, though she was much more reserved about the process.

"Well then! Now that we've gotten the formalities of sharing a meal and a drink together out of the way!"

She and her sister proceed to extend their outside hands diagonally toward the roof, with their fingers spread out, and linked their inner arms to make some sort of… Finger gun together!

 _Posing_

What's that supposed to mean?!

They've already pointed their linked fingers down slightly from their shoulder height in order to point directly at my forehead!

So this was their plan all along!

They're were trying to lower my guard so they could get into position for some sort of twin based, cape technique!

If I move now I might be able to get out of the way before the technique strikes!

I have to move! I'm not going to die like…

They shout together.

"Welcome to the Jiha crime family!"

…

"What?"


	9. Recruited

Centipedes Eat Worms 1.7

So… that wasn't some sort of twin based one-hit-kill cape technique?

The sisters see my confusion, and Kim and Nagase proceed to separate.

Kim's face slipped into a confident smirk as she placed he hands on her hips and tilted her head back so she could look down on me more than she already was.

Nagase held her hands together and seemed to lean down toward my height a little bit more.

Kim spoke first, her words were infused with haughty benevolence."

"That's right, you have just had the honor of being inducted into the Jiha crime family. We know you can't offer much right now, but, believe it or not, you indirectly helped us get out of a very unpleasant situation last night."

Nagase replaced her sister as the speaker and spoke in a slightly _sad_ , _gentle tone._

"We won't deceive a member of the family, so we want to make sure that you understand that we were able to escape because you… distracted, Jason for so long… I'm sorry we couldn't do anything to help you, but you really did help us out! In thanks, we've decided to take you with us!"

Kim cut in again.

"That's right, in our benevolence, we've decided to take you in kid!"

They then spoke in their eerie tandem again.

"So, once more welcome to the family minion/little brother!"

…

No one moves or speaks for about 3 seconds, then their heads snap toward each other and they're shouting, poking and gesturing at each other in some new language that resembles Japanese, but is somehow always beyond my ability to understand…

They don't seem like they'll be stopping anytime soon so I take the chance to consider the new information I've received.

First and… most important: they don't seem to have any intention of killing me or enslaving me.

Second and also most importan… and… and s… ssss…. **second most important:** Their food is **AMAZING**!

I can just pretend to join them for the immediate future, until I figure out their secret food gathering techniques.

Yeah, I'll just make sure our agreement will provide all the opportunity I need to collect new food gathering techniques, and then I'll be free of the power they've managed to get over me.

"I will join you on the condition that I continue to receive access to the "Bento Boxes" we just consumed."

They stopped arguing when they heard my voice, it's the first time they've heard me speak.

They both look at me and once again speak in unison. Their voices full of certainty.

"Of course you will."

I… get the feeling I never had a say about not joining to begin with…

They go back to arguing like nothing happened and my eyes narrow as I consider their presumption.

Before I can do anything about this new information Kim breaks off from the argument for a moment and glances at me over her shoulder, and speaks an understandable human language instead of whatever _eldritch_ tongue she and her sister had been shouting in.

Her haughty tone is back in full force.

"Of course, after we finish the job I have planned, and get out of this cesspit of a country, we'll be eating food that makes that junk food seem like dirt in comparison."

She turned back to continue arguing with Nagase.

…

My mind shorts out again.

They know how to access food that is better than bento boxes?!

I have to get their secret!

However… "After we finish the job I have planned, and get out"…

Of course there's a catch.

Very well then, I'll just have to tolerate them until we can get the job done and I can learn their secrets.

They're still arguing.

Finally I give up on waiting for them to finish and raise my voice to interrupt them again.

"So what is this job and what do I need to do to get it done?"

It looks like that's finally pulled them out of their debate because they both turn to look at me.

Kim smirks down at me again,

"A go getter huh? I like that in a minion!"

Nagase gives her a dirty look, but finally just sighs and sits back down before taking a long swig of her beer, and elbowing her sister.

Kim, looks confused for a moment before remembering something.

She reaches for something beside her and chucks it at my heard.

I reflexively snatch the incoming object out of the air and find myself holding…

Clothes?

In my hands are a plain black t-shirt, a thick, long necked, red sweater, a pair of black baggy looking pants with a lot of pockets, a plastic package of what look like small cloth shorts and a roll of grey sacks (too small to be good for holding anything).

 _Turtle-neck sweater, cargo pants, boxers (underwear), and socks_

I look up in confusion.

And Nagase speaks again.

"Your clothes seemed rather… worn, so we picked you up some new ones. There's no need to be embarrassed, we needed to do the same."

Kim chimed in again.

"That's right! No minion of mine is going to be seen walking around in rags, the bathroom is around the corner, it's the only door on the right. Get washed up, put on your new clothes, and then we can talk business."

These clothes…

They're so soft.

I rub the sweater on my face for a few moments before snapping out of it again, and walking over to the bathroom.

I enter the room, and I realize that I have no idea what I'm doing.

 _Bathroom, commonly used to expunge waste material, using a toilet, and to practice hygiene using a bath or shower_

 _The door is traditionally closed during the process to maintain modesty_

I decide to just follow along with the knowledge in my head as I slip out of the tattered black shirt and ill fitted pants I was wearing.

After I successfully turn the shower on as per its instructions I step into the downpour with only slight hesitation.

It's cold!

Yet it feels wonderful, the voice tells me that I should scrub myself with somethings, and apply certain creams to my hair, and I comply.

After I finish rinsing the second type of cream out of my hair, something amazing happens.

The water is… warm!

I can feel all my muscles relaxing, and I involuntarily let out a hum of satisfaction.

I can't resist basking under the soothing rain, and rotating occasionally so my entire body can experience the effect.

I stay until the water starts getting cold again, and then only reluctantly get out of the shower.

After drying off with a large fluffy sheet of cloth as per the voice's instructions, I pull on my new clothing, and open the door so we can finally get to our mission briefing, and I can get one step closer to learning how to obtain food that is allegedly superior to a bento box!

When I open the door I'm greeted by the image of Kim with her fist raised parallel to her body, and her sister staring over her shoulder.

Both have concerned looks on their faces, although they quickly cover it up, when they see me looking up to them, with my head cocked to the side in confusion.

Kim swiftly moved her raised fist in front of her mouth and… faked a cough?

Why is she feigning illness?

"Well then, now that you've finished you shower. Your three hour shower… We can get down to business."

She led us back to the coffee table and sat down next to her sister.

"Before we make any definite plans kid, we can't keep calling you kid all the time, it's getting annoying. What's your name?"

I blink, and consider the question for a moment. I don't think anyone has ever asked me that question before outside Izanami's illusions…

This isn't one of his illusions, I'm far beyond that level now…

"Shiro. My name is Shiro"

Kim just nods her head while Nagase smiles at me again.

"Well Shiro, we didn't initially plan for you to be with us for this job, We're putting together all the equipment we can on short notice, but we're going to need to make our move tonight so we can get out of here before Shin figures out we're still alive. We don't have time to whip up more than the most basic equipment for you."

The joviality is gone from Kim's face, and she stares at me with her face set in an analytical expression.

"We're going to need every advantage we can get to pull this off, and we can't risk leaving you alone when we do the job. We're going to need to rush straight for a private airport I've... Arranged to have a fueled plane ready for intercontinental flight, and getting caught is not an option."

She looks me in the eye and asks.

"What can you do Shiro?"

I take a moment to consider how to handle the question… I need to find a balance between concealing my capabilities and making sure they know I'm useful so they won't ditch me before I can figure out how to acquire their food.

"I have the ability to manipulate my biomass along with some extra stored biomass into any sort of pattern I can understand, and my body is instinctively capable of restoring itself to full health so long as my brain isn't destroyed, and I have access to sufficient biomass"

They both look stunned.

Did I undersell myself?

Nagase is the one who speaks this time.

"Since when can you do that Shiro?"

I don't hesitate to reply.

"I obtained the ability last night during my time with Jason."

They both wince, and Nagase mumbles.

"Second Trigger…"

Kim recovers first and gets back to business.

"Good. That's good. It's a lot more than I thought we would have to work with. Do you know anything about your power's potential applications? For example, can you enhance your durability, or glide at all? If you could manage that, we might be able to work you into our original plan."

I stop to consider how I would manage flight for a moment, and images of birds in flight, and glimpses of para-gliders make their way through my inner-consciousness.

"I know I can improve my strength, speed and durability. I'm quite certain I could manage flight."

Kim looks hesitant for a moment and glances at her sister.

Nagase also looks uncertain before she folds her hands together on top of the table, squeezes her eyes shut and nods.

The determined look on Kim's face is back, and she passes me an earpiece with a lens extension…

 _Scouter_

and something that looks like…

 _A smartphone with a wrist strap_

She answers my question before I can ask it.

"It's basic tech, but it's all we could whip up at the last moment. I call the first piece a pathfinder. We'll be able to relay information to each other if we get separated. The wrist strap device is a hacking tool. We don't have time to teach you how to use it, so if you get stuck on something, Nagase or I will access it through the pathfinder to get you through whatever's in your way."

Now Nagase spoke up.

"I've cobbled together a jump-pack for you out of some extra weapons we had. I've inputted plenty of safeguards, so you shouldn't need training to use it effectively so long as you can reinforce your body's durability to 50% higher than base human."

I nodded my understanding, and put on my new equipment.

The sisters strapped on more polished looking hacking tools of their own, before Kim tapped a few buttons on her screen's interface, and another layer was added to my world through the lens over my right eye.

Kim's voice rang out again, steady and confident, as something came into view.

I saw the visages of Shin and Jason in the lens, along with the image of a large pile of burning rubble.

"Here's the situation. 8 hours ago, someone broke into Jason's base of operations. The combat was extremely audible, and although his subordinates were too afraid to enter in after they heard him go berserk, they did observe the building from a distance. No one knows exactly what happened, but it's widely believed that an unknown new cape decided to assault Jason's base, and destroy our workshop to cripple Shin's operations and launch a challenge for control of the city. We originally thought that Shin was the one who killed Jason, but if he did, he would never have done it secretly, so it had to have been someone else, assuming Jason was even killed at all."

A hint of a smirk worked its way onto Kim's face and continued on with a hint of predatory amusement in her voice.

"It doesn't matter. Shin believes Jason has been killed, and so do the other members of Aogiri Tree. Jason was Shin's chief enforcer, with him gone Shin needs to reassert control himself. He needs to be seen looking for the challenger, or he'll be face a rebellion. He's going to have to leave his "palace"."

This time it was Nagase who initiated the change in my lens. The rubble and the faces was replaced with an overview of the business district of the city, and an image of an abnormally tall sky-rise office building.

Kim continued her rundown.

"That tower is Shin's "palace". He almost never leaves it, and he keeps everything he values on the top 5 floors."

A blue print of 5 separate floors replaced the image of the building

"There's no security footage of his palace. Shin would never tolerate the intrusion, but all the information I've managed to gather indicates that Shin keeps everything he considers valuable there. Including a short ton of gold bullion."

"We're going to steal it from him using those."

She gestured toward two black hard suits, with large black painted cylinders attached to their backs.

"Those cylinders are a master piece of mine, they'll be able to liquefy and suppress the mass of a large amount of gold. Nagase's powered hard suits will easily be able to handle the weight, and we'll be using the suits jump capabilities to escape across the city immediately after we grab the gold."

The images of the building faded away and the outline of the business district came into focus once more, only this time there were two paths drawn from the building he now recognized as Shin's tower.

This first path was green and it darted from building to building, in a suddenly rising 3d outline.

Nagase spoke now.

"Tonight, at 10:00 PM, Shin is going to leave his palace to meet with the subordinates he used to rule through Jason and choose a new chief enforcer. While he's gone, we're going to use our suits and your jump pack to make our way across the city, invade Shin's tower, and then we're going to make a rush for a private landing strip, that has already had arrangements made to transport a CEO to the United States, in a private jet. The CEO had an unfortunate car accident due to a broken traffic light last night. The company's attempts to inform the air traffic controllers on both ends of the Pacific of the cancellation accidentally returned false confirmation, although the pilot and flight attendant received their notification."

"Consequentially, there will be an empty, fully fueled private plane waiting for me to fly us and our new gold to Portland, with all the legal niceties taken care of in advance. Convenient huh?"

…

Apparently Nagase can also do smug.

Kim spoke again.

"The only complication is that we will be entering Shin's palace blind. We have no idea who or what will be waiting for us. I can jam any attempts to communicate out of the building after we get there, but the scanning technology we have available can't pierce more than one of the palace's walls at a time. We'll need to spread out and cover as much ground as possible, so we can get the gold and get out before Shin gets back from his meeting. Stealth is ideal, but the most important aspect of the operation is speed."

"I need to ask Shiro. If you encounter a guard by yourself while we're in there, will you be able to handle yourself, or will you need to stick with one of us for the duration of the mission?"

She's looking at me intently, and I meet her gaze

"I'll be fine on my own."

Kim nods at my answer, and Nagase looks hesitant for a moment before she clenches her jaw and nods as well.

"Alright Shiro…"

She grabbed three bottles from the bag next to her, and tossed one to each of us.

No beer this time.

We all proceeded to flip off the caps off and follow her lead as she raised hers toward the center of the table again.

"To good luck on our first heist together."

"Let's hope we don't need it."

We drank.


	10. Dancing in the Smog

Centipedes Eat Worms 1.8

I looked up to the sky, raised my arms to my sides and basked in the light of the waxing moon for the first time in 8 years.

I leaned back in my stance on top of the hotel we had been staying in, and absorbed the sensation of the wind gusting around my body and through my hair.

It's 9:45 PM, and we were all geared up, waiting out the last few minutes before Shin was due to leave his palace before we were to begin our run across the city's concrete towers.

Kim and Nagase are both wearing hard-suits covered with dark grey splotches

 _Camouflage_

I'm wearing a similarly patterned long-coat that somehow manages to be flexible anyway.

The "jump-pack" Nagase provided, is strapped over my upper back. It's a small, dull gray pack that manages to stay tight on my back without inhibiting the mobility of my arms.

Finally Kim walks up to me and… slaps my shoulder? If she was trying to hurt me that was pathetic. I'm not sure what she's trying to p…

"It's time for us to head out Shiro. Good luck tonight, and remember, Nagase and I have your back. Don't hesitate to tell us if you need any help"

… Oh.

I'm don't really know if I can trust either of these girls… but somehow it feels… nice to hear that.

She locks eyes with me and I can't help but give a slight nod of acknowledgement.

That's enough for her. In a moment the dark, faceless helmet has slid up out of her armor, and she's running for the edge of the roof top.

Just before she would have stumbled off the edge she leaps forward. I feel a slight change in temperature, even here, 10 meters from where she launched herself.

I trace her form hurtling across the dark sky in a graceful arc, until she finally starts to descend toward the top of the roof of the several stories taller building across the busy city street.

She begins swinging her legs back and forth in mid-air like she's sprinting in place, before she finally lands on the other roof, and runs forward out of my view to release her momentum.

I feel a gentle hand touching my shoulder and I look up to see Nagase, with her helmet still down, holding up a mask for me.

She smiles lightly.

"Kim and I worked on this together. It doesn't have much to it aside from the capabilities of an industrial gas mask, but you can open up the mouth without exposing your face if you need a drink, and we thought you might like to keep your face concealed like we are. It's something of a cape tradition."

It's a strange looking thing.

It's mostly black, except at the front where it displays the clenched teeth of a human mouth with something like a zipper marking the line between the top and bottom teeth. The two filters on the sides of the mask likely perform the gas mask function.

I put it on, and it extends from my jaw line over my nose, and stops under my eyes. A strap clasps together snugly behind my head, and somehow wearing it just feels right.

I glace over to the roof across the street, and the pathfinder, securely clasped to the side of my face, works together with my enhanced vision to easily pick out Kim waiting for us on the other side.

Nagase's helmet slides into place, and she gives me a final word of encouragement.

"It's your turn now Shiro. Don't worry, if anything goes wrong I promise Kim and I will catch you."

She gives me a light pat on the shoulder, in a similar but gentler version of the gesture Kim had given me moments earlier.

Despite the fact that I'm about to jump off the side of a building, with nothing to protect me but the words and good will of a couple of girls I'd never even met until 10 hours ago, I can't remember a time I've felt more secure.

I nod at her one last time, and my body shifts.

I'm running at a dead sprint for the edge of the roof, and my bones, ligaments and muscles have all adjusted to supply me with power for my jump.

The pathfinder provides me with an outline of the optimal path for this jump, and I decide, that on this occasion, I'm strong enough to risk trusting someone else. I follow the path bend my knees and leap.

There's a pulse through the air around me and suddenly I'm in flight.

The wind flows across my face and my hair is whipped back.

I'm flying through the air and I've never felt so free!

I restrain the desire to let out a yelp of joy, and focus on my landing path, in just a handful of seconds I'm descending toward the roof where Kim is waiting, and I decide to follow her earlier example, and work my legs.

The tip of the black running shoe I was provided with before we the hotel room finally touches down, and now I'm running across the roof, and bleeding off my momentum like Kim had earlier.

Kim nods at me as I walk up next to where she's turned to watch her sister make her jump, and I look up to see Nagase flying across the murky, dark divide.

When I gaze at her form, outlined against the smoggy sky, it occurs to me that all of our clothes blend well with the contaminated clouds that seem to eclipse the stars in this city.

Nagase lands next to us within a few seconds, and repeats the process Kim and I have already underwent.

Kim's expressionless visor seems to scrutinize both of us and her voice sounds through my pathfinder.

"Alright then. Everything's in order. Let's fly"

She takes off running along a path I see overlaying reality. Nagase and I follow suit staggered over a few seconds, and now I'm dancing in the smoggy sky.

As I leap from rooftop to rooftop, with the wind whipping across my face while I sail across the void in between concrete towers, I feel a smile grow under my mask.

Maybe there's more benefits to this arrangement than the food.


	11. The Palace

Centipedes Eat Worms 1.9

It's 10:20 PM and we've made it to our objective. Now we're staring at a glass covered fortress across from our perch on an adjacent office building.

The building Shin chose to host his palace is 8 floors taller than our own, and there is a 20 meter gap between our perch and our destination.

Getting on top of the building isn't going to be an option.

Before I can consider the situation further, Kim turns her blank visor to me, and I hear her voice in my ear.

"Shiro, when we get in there, we don't know who, or what we might find. Nagase and I have armor that can tank anything a conventional weapon, or the knockoffs that Shin forced us to make can dish out. We're going to do our best to avoid killing anyone, but if using non-lethal options puts any of us at risk, we'll have to go for the kill. I know it might be hard, but if you feel like you're in danger, and you can't hide or run away, I want you to hit as hard and fast as you can until we can get there to help you. Do you think you can handle that?"

What is she talking about? I really don't care if they or I have to kill anyone.

I look up at her mask and her sister next to her, and decide to reassure them by telling them as much.

"I'm not worried."

Kim nods at me and although I can't see her face, I think I can hear a smile in her voice.

"Good, you don't need to worry. Kim and I aren't like Shin or Jason. We won't kill when we don't have to."

Huh? I think there's been a misunderstanding here, although I don't care enough to correct it.

…

Killing when you don't have to makes people like Shin and Jason?

I decide to put aside that thought for later, and watch what the sisters are up to instead.

Kim nods to Nagase and they both move up to the edge of our building before Kim lifts her left arm.

Some sort of compartment opens and an extension seamlessly rises out of the back of her gauntlet.

There's a pulse of displaced air and my pathfinder points out a small pellet now attached the window of the 6th highest floor.

The pathfinder briefly outlines a pulse of energy flawing over the exterior of the building until I heard Kim speaking through our link.

"That should take care of any attempts to send information out of the building. It's clear."

She walked back next to me, and Nagase raised one of her own arms.

Something rose up from the back of her wrist, and she pointed her arm at a window pane on the 5th highest floor.

Suddenly her arms were inhumanly still, then there was a constant hum of displaced air as her arm moved slightly through a course of four straight lines.

I looked to the building again and my pathfinder outlined a 3 meter by 3 meter square pattern made up of hundreds of small, regularly punctured holes in the glass.

She walked back over to the rest of us, and Kim bent down into

 _A runner's crouch_

"When you make this jump it's vital that you follow the pathfinder's instructions for your jump exactly. Wish me luck."

And then she was running.

In just a few seconds she reached the edge of the roof and leapt. The air pulsed, and she flew toward the palace's window.

She didn't swing her legs this time. Instead, as she approached the square pattern Nagase had just carved, she tucked herself into a ball.

She struck the window pane, and a three meter by three meter square of glass was pushed through the building before her.

She continued forward and was soon out of view because of the difference in height between our respective locations.

We heard her voice through our link like she was still on the roof next to us.

"Shatter proof glass. A great investment… Heh… Our new door is open for the next jumper."

Nagase turned and nodded to me.

"Good luck."

I took my own runners stance, and prepared the same body structure I'd grown accustomed to jumping with this evening.

The pathfinder laid out the route I needed to take, and again I decided to put my trust in its creator. Doing that has been getting easier, this evening.

I ran. I approached the edge and leapt with the same force I had used all night. My jump pack pulsed, and I flew unerringly toward the narrow opening in Shin's palace.

It seemed like a small target to hit from this distance, but my trust in the pathfinder was well placed.

Again I followed Kim's lead and tucked myself into a ball upon my approach. I found myself rolling through the hole until I felt enough momentum had been bled off, and I hopped out of the roll. I looked up and saw a staggered pattern of craters along parts of the roof in front of me and the far wall, before looking around and finding Kim. I walked over to where she was leaning against a wall next to the pane of glass she had apparently dragged out of our way.

I could hear the smirk through our link.

"Nice jump minion. Our entrance is clear Nagase."

"Got it Sister"

Nagase followed up her words with action, and just a few seconds later she rolled into the building to join us.

She got up from her roll and joined us before speaking.

"We're all equipped with basic scanning technology. It will coordinate what areas have been scanned and if your equipment detects any gold it will alert all of us. If it finds a potential point of interest, it will just show the individual in question. Be safe Sister, Shiro."

We both nodded, and with that, we split up.

I took off at a quiet run through the dark halls and simply followed a search pattern the pathfinder advised me to use.

Even though it was dark on this floor, I was still able to see clearly in the dim moonlight thanks to my own enhanced vision, and the pathfinder's enhancement over my right eye.

I've never seen anything like this before. I had thought the hotel we had been staying in was luxurious, but it was nothing compared to this.

The floors were made of polished white stone, _Marble,_ and the walls were adorned with some sort of paper patterned exotically with gold and red shapes.

 _Tacky_

I'm not sure what that means, but I guess that must be what it is.

I continued running through the building, occasionally turning into a room that the scanner claimed had potential. It seemed like this place was needlessly spacious to me. Many of the rooms just seemed to have a few, ornate but uncomfortable looking, chairs lying on top of elaborately weaved carpets.

In just a few minutes, I received an automated message that this floor was cleared and continued moved toward a stair case the blue prints had claimed would be there.

We proceeded to make our run through the second floor of the five, and this time the theme seemed to be _dining areas_ and _kitchens_.

The floor was made of black marble now and the walls focused more on red patterns than gold. The translucent blueprint of this floor that my pathfinder was displaying over my vision slowly filled with details, as the twins and I fulfilled the search patterns dictated to us.

I heard a sigh through our link, and heard Kim's voice, laced with annoyance.

"Nothing so far. Shin is unbelievably boring. The only thing he's using all this space for is sating his own ego."

I don't bother responding as I continue to run through a room with a long red wooden table surrounded by chairs, with a crystal chandelier hanging over the center.

Nothing.

We make our way to the next floor, and I'm greeted by endless bookshelves. Ornately carved wooden shelves line the halls. This time there are only a few rooms. Each one is adjacent to a window and provides an excellent view of the rest of the city.

This time the furniture actually looks comfortable, and the carpets they stand on are thick, though no less ornate than before. The floor itself is made of some sort of pleasant smelling wood that I can't identify.

After half an hour of searching we still haven't seen a hint of the gold, or a single human being.

The pathfinder concludes that there is nothing of interest left on this floor and tells us to move on.

None of the staircases our blueprint said would be here were present. Instead, our pathfinders had scanned out the location of just one staircase, in the exact center of this floor.

I'm the closest to it.

I emerge from the ceiling-high maze of books and see what appears to be a circular clearing cut out among the shelves. The wooden floor is replaced by a circle of pristine white _shag_ carpet.

Emerging from the exact center of the circle is a delicate looking staircase with no railings.

I show my great concern for the value of Shin's property, by continuing my steady run over the carpet, while wearing my black soled running shoes, covered in the grit of the roofs I was running over earlier.

At the top of the stair case is a door with an ornate handle, and no apparent lock. I open it with no real subtlety, and begin my search of the floor.

My footsteps are muffled as I run across the thick white carpet, and I see no light from the moon.

It's pitched black in here. My only knowledge of my surroundings comes from the pathfinder's scans.

Bedrooms line the hall here.

They all seemed to be intricately crafted. They were actually larger than the hotel room, we had hid in for the day.

My scans picked up beds even larger than the one I had laid on in the hotel.

Some of them seemed to have been designed to spin in the center of the room.

One of the beds was actually filled with water!

Why would he need more than one bed anyway? One should be plenty.

Kim and Nagase finally reached the floor, and began their search, which was soon followed by a disgusted sigh from Nagase.

"Of course a man like Shin would have a place like this…"

I'm not really sure about what she means, but I keep searching the many rooms anyway.

I reach another door, once again there is no lock. I pull it open and find something new.

This room is about the same size as the others, but instead of enormous, overly extravagant beds, the room is filled with rows of small bunk beds.

My scanner detects a person in every bunk. Alive, but lying perfectly still.

Some are men, some are women, and a wide range of approximated ages is detected.

The information is silently passed along to Kim and Nagase, and I hear disgusted noises from both of them.

No one moves as I walk through the room, and their breathing is steady.

I'm actually convinced that they are all asleep, until I glance at one of the prone figures on my way out of the room and see a male, maybe a few years older than me, staring me in the eye.

I freeze, and restrain my reflex to kill him and every other potential ambusher in the room immediately.

I'm not sure if it's necessary yet.

He couldn't possibly have seen me with so little light in this place.

My hesitation is justified, when my scanner fails to pick up any movement from him.

At all.

There is not even a change to his facial expression, he just stars at me blankly and keeps breathing steadily.

I start to cautiously step forward, and his eyes follow me until I'm out of view.

He doesn't turn his head.

I finally exit the room, through another door, and I realize that the boy was dead.

Even though his body was still alive, and according to my sensors, quite healthy, he had no will of his own.

 _A doll_

It occurred to me that this is what Shin wanted me to be.

A possession with no will of my own.

If Jason hadn't put that centipede in my ear I may have become just that.

The blueprint is largely useless on this floor. Everything seems to have been changed from the original floor plan.

Kim and Nagase are on the other half of the floor, and according to my scanner, they seem to be finding large bathing areas.

I hear a hitch in Kim's breath, and my scanner's map tells me she found a room like the one I had discovered. She doesn't make any other sound.

I continue my search, and find a few more of the varied and strangely elaborate bed rooms.

My map tells me that, regardless of the changes to the floor plan, the next room I enter will be one of the corners of the building.

I open the door, and for an instant I'm blinded by the moon's light.

My eyes adjust instantly, and I see that the room is filled with… animals?

No. There's no life here. Only empty shells that resemble the creatures that formally inhabited them fill this room.

As I walk into the room, I see that the walls are lined with snarling faces. Heads that look like they belong on giant cats bear their teeth, alongside strange creatures with… _tusks_ thrusting from their faces.

There are many other animals I don't recognize, and I'm about to turn and leave the room, when my eye, catches an appealing shade of white.

I can't see it properly from here since another one of Shin's stuffed creatures is in the way, so I decide to go around it and take a look on a whim.

I jog around the creature and look up to see what it is that caught my eye.

…

Mother…

…

I stare up at her face, take in her long white hair, and concluded that it must be fake.

It may look just like she looked the last time I saw her.

It might even be dressed the same way.

But I know something that whoever made this doll did not know.

I know that even though Mother abandoned me, she is still definitely alive somewhere.

Someday, I will even find her to ask why she abandoned me.

I reach out and touch the artificial skin on the doll's face and activate my undertrained ability to understand the biology of others. If only to prove the obvious, that I am right.

My hand touches its face…

…

Her face

…

 _Preserved human skin_

 _Traces of DNA present are a 50% match for my own DNA_

…

I don't react.

I don't say anything.

I don't move.

I don't breath.

I don't think.

…

I feel the hair on the back of my neck begin to stand up. My scanner hasn't picked up anything, so I know it doesn't matter.

…

I dive to the side anyway.

My mother's pale skin and white hair, along with anything in a 3 meter radius of her is struck by an invisible force and crumbles into dust, including the floor beneath her and the wall that was behind her back.

There is no sound during the process.

I turn and see what the scanner is still unable to detect.

The dead thing that I decided didn't need to die.

It stands and looks at me with no expression on its face, and its hands held out in front of it with the fingers cupped in a spherical shape.

I can see its eyes now. They are completely black. From the iris to the white to the sclera.

It speaks.

"servants are not allowed in the trophy room"

No passion.

No emotion.

No soul.

Not that it would have mattered if it had any of those things.

I was wrong.

Its death is absolutely necessary.


	12. The Centipede

Centipedes Eat Worms 1.10

It is still staring blankly at the perfectly spherical empty space where Mother had been.

It dropped its arms to its sides and speaks again.

"oh no... I have destroyed some of King Shin's trophies... he will not be pleased"

Slowly, I stand up from where I had thrown myself prone to escape… whatever it was it did as I listened to its still emotionless voice.

I finished straightening up with the moon shining behind me through the glass corner.

I gazed at it dispassionately for a moment, before calmly removing my jump-pack and tossing it far to the side.

Finally it turns to me again.

Dead black eyes stared directly into mine as it opens its mouth.

"the white one was King Shin's favorite… and I destroyed it"

He dispassionately began to raise his hands.

I cracked my neck.

My body shifted and I drew on the power I took from Jason.

In a single moment two black tendrils erupted out of the center of my back and writhed into place pointing forward on either side of my body.

They were segmented regularly, with the bright red of my old tendrils shining in the thin gaps in the exoskeleton of the new.

All along their sides there were sharp, black legs, twitching intermittently, and at the end of each was a pair of razor sharp pincers, guarding a mouth large enough to swallow up a grown man's arm whole.

I could feel every feral twitch of their lengths, as they expressed the emotions I was unwilling to show on my face.

It spoke again.

"maybe I will be forgiven if I successfully kill an intruder"

I lunged forward.

His hands skipped the space that was in between them to clap together, in a fraction of a second.

I ducked right mid-sprint, dodging the wave of force.

Most of it.

Instantly, my left arm disintegrated from a point just above my elbow. The left tendril that I had spread out to the side for balance was severed from my body, and a large section of the window pane behind my former position crumbled into dust.

Irrelevant information.

I was finally in close enough to tear out its throat!

My right tendril lanced forth from my side at blinding speed, and its pincers opened wide to receive the throat that was now within its grasp.

Then… It moved. Faster than even I was capable of.

No… that's not right. He didn't seem to be moving faster.

It was more like the rest of the world was moving slower.

…

Time shifted back to normal.

My right tendril's mandibles clicked shut on empty space.

The remnants of my left tendril fell to the ground a little bit away from the window and twitched.

Blood attempted to gush from the place where my left arm had been eradicated before my will caught it, and instead, it shifted into a visibly growing, red, pulsating mass, that slowly began to extend from the stump still left attached to my left shoulder.

I smelled sweat and turned to see It standing in another place with its hands once again at its sides.

It was looking at the hole it made in the window.

"oh no. I made another mess in the trophy room. King Shin will be furious."

It isn't even taking me seriously... No. That's not it. It's sweating. It expends a lot of energy when it makes time slowdown that way… It can't keep it up forever…

Five seconds have passed since our exchange ended, and the pulsating mass on my left arm has grown enough.

The mass shifts, and instead of my original arm there is now a long, black, armored spiral covered in tiny, barbed spikes, and tipped with a single sharp point.

It begins to turn back to me and raise its hands again, just after I slam my foot into the ground and charge forward with the spiral attached to my left stump pointed at its head.

This time, when I've crossed half the distance between us, the centipede like appendage I had extended forward like a fifth limb on my right side, flips back behind my body.

It plunges into the ground and immediately arrests my momentum and begins to lift my body off the floor, as the entropy is defused.

In the same moment, the spiral on my left arm detached from the rest of my body without losing a newton of force, and continues spearing forward through the air.

The black spear is less than half a meter from its face when something changes.

The arm erupts, barbed spikes fly out of the black pulsating mass, and proceed to fill the air before they finally land and cover every portion of the room aside from a small patch near the window it somehow missed. Even I am not spared, my hastily raised right arm successfully guards my face and neck, but the rest of my body is a pincushion.

There are spikes piercing all over the front of my legs, and covering my torso as well as my right arm.

Half a second passes.

The primary spike impales the wall behind the place where its head used to be.

It has struck nothing.

Another half second passes.

The black tendril in my back is still anchoring me in place, and momentum continues to slowly carry my body upward while still attached to its tether.

I smell blood along with the sweat this time.

Half a second passes.

My head whips to the side inhumanly fast so I can see It again.

Its body is covered in cuts from its navigation through the slowed spikes.

Its biting its lip and its face is slightly blue, like its desperately trying not to breath too load even though its body is starved for oxygen.

It is standing in the one area of the room that I didn't manage to hit with spikes. In front of the hole in the glass corner of the room. Just in front of it is my severed left tendril which had been struck by many of the barbs that should have landed where it is standing.

It has its hands, fingers spread and, one palm on top of the other, aimed squarely at the center of my torso.

Desperately I push with the tendril that is still anchoring me to the ground.

A quarter second passes.

I feel myself rise ever so slightly while the hair on the back of my neck rises up, and the invisible force settles into place.

I feel my flesh begin to crumble into dust in a 10 centimeter thick line parallel to my waist along my upper thighs.

I send an electrical impulse through the spikes embedded in my body, and they instantly relay it to the spikes embedded in my severed left tendril.

Another quarter second passes.

My legs have been severed at the upper thigh level, and I have been cut off from the remaining right-side tendril that had been propelling me toward the now spike covered roof.

I am air-born.

I am being hurled toward a roof covered in razor sharp, barbed spikes.

The entire front side of my body is impaled with spikes that are the same as those on the roof.

I have only one limb left.

Another quarter second passes.

I have won.

The electrical impulse I relayed through the spikes has been obeyed, and my severed right tendril has leapt through the air and grasped its throat in its pincers. Its neck is severed through its throat all the way to the spine, and its body is being propelled out the opening it had cut into the window earlier by the force of the tendril's leap.

Another quarter second passes.

What is left of my body crashes into the roof, and picks up a few dozen stab wounds, from the barbs that had been embedded there.

I have the satisfaction of watching its emotionless blond head detach fully from it body before both the head and the rest of the body are completely propelled out the window, and out of view.

My perception goes back to normal.

The cuts I receive from the barbs in the roof become ragged deep gashes when gravity and the inertia of the roof propel my almost limbless torso back down from the roof and rips the barbs back out of my body.

The blood covered hunk of flesh that is left of me crashes into the spikes on the floor, and I am impaled by several dozen more of the barbs that had been embedded in the floor, while the ones already in my body are pushed in further.

My right arm still manages to keep my pathfinder safe though, so it doesn't really matter.

Finally I stop moving, and I just lie there covered in my own blood, with only one limb left.

All of that happened in two and a half seconds.

I have won.

I feel myself fade into the polychromatic garden within my mind.


	13. The Golden Throne

Centipedes Eat Worms 1.11

I am within my mind again.

I am greeted by a multitude of colors and smells that I can't even recall imagining before this moment.

I shake my head lightly.

This is not the time to be caught up in my inner world.

I know why I'm here.

I was pushed to the edge of my capabilities again, and I'm ready to evolve.

Once again, my body was too weak.

If that thing hadn't taken the bait and moved exactly where I needed him to, he might have succeeded in killing me.

I need to be strong.

I can't let myself die.

I can't let my life be meaningless.

…

I can't allow myself to fade while the man who is responsible for all of this is still alive…

Shin

HE killed my mother, he hunted her. I don't know what's going on and I don't care. I will not suffer that man to live.

For a moment I feel a deep sensation of doubt and sadness overwhelming me when I remember my mother again, but it is quickly suppressed to manageable levels.

 _Invictus has increased in strength_

… I guess I'm evolving in more way than one.

With that iron-will empowering me, I once more reach for my potential, and pour it into my ability to manipulate my own biology.

 _The Path of Self-Biomancy has advanced to 50% of its maximum potential_

That will have to be enough.

I pull myself back into the waking world and my right ear hurts.

"Shiro! Shiro answer us!"

Huh?

Oh yeah, I'm currently a mangled mass of flesh, covered in spikes and lacerations, with only one limb left.

I idly look through my pathfinder and see that Kim and Nagase are both moving rapidly toward my position…

Actually they'll probably be here in 10 seconds or so.

Better get myself presentable then.

I flex my power, and suddenly I can feel every piece of me in this place, the barbed spikes riddling my body, and every surface in this room, the blood covering the ground. Even my recently severed legs are still a part of my body, and now they eagerly respond to my will.

I can't respond to Kim and Nagase's frantic calls yet because my lungs are currently shredded and impaled by the spikes that have pieced my torso.

I'll fix that first.

Every spike in my body transforms back into pure biomass, before they are seamlessly used to replace the flesh and bone they had destroyed and displaced.

The gashes in my back knit back together, and within seconds, my torso was intact, although it was still missing 3 about of 4 limbs

"Minion! Answer me!"

I finished draining the blood that had been clogging up my respiratory system back into its proper place and responded.

"I'm fine. The threat has been neutralized. Continue scanning this floor, and be cautious of Capes with time manipulation powers."

This time I heard Nagase's voice. She sounds angrier than I had ever heard her before.

" **You Are Not Fine**! We can see everything that happens through the pathfinder Shiro! You were unconscious for two minutes! Don't move a muscle."

I don't answer. They already seem very upset, and I don't want to damage this relationship. My interactions with the twins have been both beneficial and enjoyable... I don't want to lose that.

It would not be good if they saw what had happened in this room after I covered the pathfinder.

I reach out to the blood, the spikes, my severed legs, and my, still twitching, right centipede tendril. They respond to my commands by liquefying and flowing back to my body.

All over the room, a blood red substance is seeping out of the craters left by my spikes, and flowing back into the stumps of my missing limbs.

I had just managed to push myself up slightly with my still intact right arm, while I listened with confusion to Kim speaking rapidly to me about advanced prosthetic limbs with a definitely desperate tint to her voice. When the two sisters burst into the room through the hole **It** had made earlier.

They froze, and the speaking stopped as they stared at me and the room around me.

Extending from the stub on my left shoulder, and from those on my two legs, were three red, pulsating masses.

They took in the room, the deep line in the wall behind me, the spherical hole in one of the walls, and the hole in the glass It had carved, all in an attempt to kill me.

They saw the craters left by my spikes, and tendril.

They saw the red biomass flowing from all over the room and merging into my limbs.

For five seconds they stay frozen.

That was plenty of time for me.

All of my biomass in the room has been re-assimilated into my body, and finally the red pulsating masses on my legs and left arm, fade back into my body, leaving new, bare white limbs.

I stand up, and speak again, trying to salvage the situation and allay their concerns.

"I can tell you're upset, but I assure you; my healing abilities are just as powerful as I said they were, and I managed to keep all of my equipment in-tact. We can still finish the mission."

I helpfully gestured to the slightly dented and scratched jump pack I had thrown to the side before combat. That should put their concerns to rest.

Robotically, their faceless visors turned from me to the jump-pack in the corner.

I shifted toward it to jog over and put it back on so we could get back to work, but before I could take a step, they moved.

In a moment they were both beside me shaking me by one shoulder each. I barely managed to suppress my defense instincts in time.

Their voices were in sync again…

" **You think we were worried because of the job!? We're not monsters! We're worried about you! You almost died!"**

They stop shaking me and wrap their arms around me instead… it's not particularly comfortable being squeezed between two sets of armor…

" **You're a member of the Jiha crime family now!"**

They both stepped back and allowed their helmets to slide back into their suits. Their hands we on my shoulders again and the leaned down to stare me in the eye.

I couldn't meet both their gazes at the same time, but I could tell that both sets of eyes were wet.

They were crying? Something hurt them?

 **"You're not allowed to die** minion/little brother **"**

And the sync is gone.

I see both of their faces twitch for an instant, but they shake it off, and give my shoulders a final squeeze, and nod wordlessly at each other.

This time only Kim speaks, while Nagase jogs over to my cast off jump-pack, and starts giving it a quick look over.

"Remember this Minion. If you die, this mission has failed. It won't matter if we walk away walk away with ten times as much gold as we are planning to steal, and get away without a hitch. Every member of the Jiha crime family is worth more than all the gold in the world combined. Even a lowly minion like you."

Nagase has finally gotten back, and she hands me back my jump-pack.

Numbly I take it, and look up to their still exposed faces as they smile at me again.

Nagase's gentle tone is back when she speaks.

"Never forget Shiro. You're a part of this family now."

Normally I would immediately reject a claim like this. I can only rely on myself.

My own mother betrayed me didn't she…

But… That's not true, is it?

She was dead, wearing the same clothes she had when she left me 8 years ago.

She didn't abandon me. She was murdered.

She was my family, and I wasn't there to keep her alive.

I wasn't strong enough to do anything even if I had been there.

Kim and Nagase have been honest with me from the start…

They've provided good food, given me good clothes, and supplied the tools I needed to succeed.

When it looked like I was in danger, they came running to help.

When I was hurt… They felt pain.

That's what a family does… right?

I think… I'll give it a try.

I reach up and pull off my mask.

Finally I look up and both of them and smile.

"I will make sure to remember."

I won't let you die…

Their smiles brighten, and I receive two more squeezes to my shoulders, before their helmets slide back on, as I replace my mask, and strap my jump-pack on over the tattered remains of my clothes.

Kim rolls her shoulders and again I hear her voice through our link.

"Alright, now that that's settled, we're not going to split up again. We've already finished scanning this floor. The gold isn't here, but we did manage to find the last staircase. We need to hurry, someone's bound to have contacted Shin after you knocked that freak out the window. If it looks like we're going to have to deal with another major confrontation, we abort the mission and head straight for the exit plane."

Her masked face nods at us, and she breaks into a sprint, with Nagase and me following closely after her.

We were running for 30 seconds, and according to the pathfinder, had almost reached the final staircase, when I detected movement in a hall near us.

I obviously wasn't the only one, because in the same moment I noticed the movement in the map overlaying half my vision, Nagase began raising her wrist in the direction of the movement.

In one smooth movement her wrist lined up with a suit of black armor that closely resembled hers. The weapon that she used to cut open the window for our entrance let off a hum of displaced air, and she began lowering her arm, and all without breaking stride.

As she lowered her arm there was a cracking sound, and I saw her target begin to fall backward with four clouds of blood drifting back from its obliterated knees and elbows, and a gun falling from its spasming hands.

We kept running, we have almost made it to the final staircase.

On three more occasions, Kim or Nagase raised a hand and contemptuously crippled people wearing a suit of black armor similar to theirs.

I conclude that someone has been manufacturing cheap _knockoffs_ of the twin's equipment, and that they find it offensive.

Finally we arrived at the final staircase.

It was draped with a lavish red carpet.

We showed our usual respect for Shin's things by trudging blood and grime over it without a second thought. There was no door at the top of this staircase, and I could see moonlight leaking in through the opening on top of it.

Kim cleared the opening first, but almost immediately skidded to a stop.

Something had shocked her so badly she was stammering through the link.

Nagase and I reached the top of the red carpeted staircase and stepped onto the top floor of the palace.

There was nothing here.

The entire floor was covered in polished black marble that seemed to glow as it reflected the moons light. There were no walls. Only the occasional black marble support pillar interfered with our view of the cityscape below us. Well. That and the object that red carpet led to.

Finally, my eyes followed the red carpet across the floor, up over a series of black marble disks, each one smaller than the other.

My pathfinder detected the gold.

The red carpet led all the way up the marble platform.

Finally Kim's mouth caught up to her mind.

"Shin sits on top of the world, and looks down on everyone while taking his dumps in a golden toilet."


	14. Plundered Plumbing

Centipedes Eat Worms 1.12

Nagase shook her head and snapped out of the stupor Kim's revelation had put her in.

"We already knew Shin was a…"

She turned and her blank visor seemed to stare at me for a moment.

"… a… an unpleasant man. This is actually exactly the sort of behavior I would expect from him. Allowing ourselves to be shocked by it just wastes time we don't have."

Kim seemed to snap out of it too, because she finally brought her right first down on her upturned left palm and suddenly spoke with… vigorous excitement.

"And in addition to that, we now have a potential side benefit to stealing this gold! It's possible that Shin won't be able to relieve himself without a golden toilet! If we're lucky, his bladder will explode before he can get a new one and we won't have to worry about any lose ends!"

Stealing this toilet could kill Shin?

They both laughed, no doubt relishing the possibility that we could send that wretch to whatever afterlife awaited him.

I decided to encourage any actions that may lead to Shin's death.

"Please hurry and collect the gold. I will make sure no one makes it up the staircase."

The sisters nodded to me and began running toward the toilet, while detaching some sort of implement from the cylinders on their respective backs.

 _Cleaning the septic tank_

Somehow I know, that this time, the voice is incorrect, even though I'm not entirely sure why.

While they run, I reach for my extra stores of biomass, and my body shifts again.

Even though my body is completely healed my clothes are still covered with tears and holes, and my cargo pants no longer reach past my knees.

In seconds, a red, pulsating liquid has leaked out of every patch of bare skin on my body, before flowing over my clothes.

Again I draw on my experience with Jason, while also taking inspiration from the armor the twins are wearing. The red, liquid shifts into a hard black suit of biological armor, fused to my body through the holes in my clothes, and completely covering my skin. I felt my senses expand as the gel-like biomass I used as a buffer between my main body's head and the new sensory cells I grew into the blank face of my armor began to function like nerves and transfer the information to my brain, which had itself adapted several extra processing centers throughout my armor in order to receive and comprehend more outside input.

The two centipede tendrils I was wielding a few minutes ago, again grew out of my back, but this time they emerged below the bioarmor guarding my jump-pack, instead of bursting out of my main body.

My preparations were complete. I stood with the arms of my 180 centimeter suit of bioarmor crossed, and calmly watched the stairs.

The light reception cells on the back of my new head pick up the girls finally hooking up the storage cylinders to Shin's toilet, and I felt myself smile at the possibility that we would be responsible for his death.

The storage cylinders activated, and I watched as the elaborate golden throne was rapidly reduced from an idiotic work of art, to a lightly glowing red liquid, before being drawn into the cylinders.

While the machine on her back continued working on its own, Nagase turned slightly to look at me and started for a moment.

"Shiro? How did you learn to do that?"

I didn't bother to turn and face her since I could see her through the light sensitive cells on the back of my "helmet" as easily as any other angle.

I actually felt a slight sensation of excitement as I prepared to explain my evolution to her. I can't remember feeling like this since I told my mother of my progress while learning to read.

"Well some of my ideas come instinctually with my powers, others I came of up with while watching the armor you and Kim are using. I guess I learned the rest by consuming Jason."

I "saw" her head nod slowly, and I heard the same hint of the smugness, I had heard once before, lacing her voice.

"Well. it's only natural that you would be inspired by my work. After all I am your… Wait…"

The smugness was gone again.

"You **consumed** Jason? HOW? WHAT? WHEN?"

She seems lost for words, but thankfully, Kim decided to join the conversation before I became overly confused.

"Shiro. Are you saying that YOU killed Jason?"

Her voice is steady, but the emphasis on "YOU" confused me a little bit.

I decided to explain as effectively as I could, silently glad that the automation of the storage cylinders kept this conversation from ruining our chances of killing Shin by stealing his toilet.

"Yes. I killed him. Just before he decided to finish me off I woke up from a series of visions that were apparently directly related to my powers. I then used my new abilities to enhance my body and broke out of my restraints, before learning the nature of some of Jason's abilities by biting off, and eating a piece of his neck. We fought for a while, before he apparently used some sort of combat drug to enhance himself. We continued to fight for a while and it got pretty close, but in the end I managed to cut off his main weapon and give him a concussion. I needed a way to make him stay down, so I used the pieces of my body he had eaten to coordinate myself and shredded his body into paste before absorbing in into my own biomass. I'm actually using a derivative of his enhancement to make this armor.

They didn't respond to that so I figured my explanation covered everything and smiled to myself with satisfaction.

…

I heard Kim beginning to draw breath, and wondered what she was going to say, when I heard a light pinging sound.

Shin's toilet had been reduced to a small puddle of leftover slag from the parts of its inner workings that were not made of gold.

…

"We'll talk about this later, right now we need to get out of here."

In that moment five individuals in the knockoff suits rushed up the stairs with their weapons raised.

One of my tendrils moved into a blocking pattern and easily deflected their weapons fire. The other tendril systematically pointed at the four joints the twins had been aiming for, on each of the five knockoffs, and launched a barbed spike from its mouth at each of them.

I dispassionately watched them topple backwards down the stairs, and continued to listen to Kim.

"We're going out the same was we came it, through the window."

The eye within my armor detected new information being provided, and my brains extra processing centers quickly activated to add it over the vision my bio-armor was providing.

Well… If we're not going back downstairs…

Both of my tendrils whipped up for a moment before crashing back down onto the area around the stairway, collapsing the surrounding upper floor onto the stairs, and probably burying some of the men below in rubble.

… Meh, doesn't really matter.

I hear the sound of displaced air again and Kim has carved a wide rectangle around our exit-path's window. Nagase raises a different wrist this time, and an invisible wave of force rushes forward and knocks the carved section of class out of the window, sending it sailing to the ground below, before glancing over at me.

"Your jump pack won't work like that Shiro."

I nod to her and allow my armor to recede back into my body along with my tendrils. All except for the armor on my legs, which I instead allow to thin and specialise into a form that my instincts tell me will support the force of long jumps and landings effectively, along with some simple reinforcement on the rest of my body.

The pathfinder's instructions are corresponding directly with my sight again, and I perceive the best path for our exit jump.

I hear Kim's voice again. Brimming with confidence.

"Let's get out of this cesspit."

She sprints for the exit and leaps under her own power.

Without hesitation Nagase and I follow suit.

For just a few moments I'm free falling out the side of the tallest building in Tokyo.

Then my jump-pack activates and slows my momentum while angling my fall toward the next roof in our path.

The black bio-armor I have on my legs absorbs the impact and the twin's armor seems to do the same.

We're flying across the roof tops again, less than an hour after breaking into Shin's palace, and we've successfully stolen his toilet.

No one is following us, and according to my pathfinder we should reach the path in twenty minutes.

Now that we don't need to jump out of a building, the twins seem to want to talk again.

I hear Nagase's voice through the Com. It sounds… delicate.

"Hey Shiro…"

Her voice drops off like she's lost her nerve, but Kim continues the thought.

"You really did Kill Jason right? You're sure he's dead?"

I blink, and remain silent for a moment as we continue bounding across the rooftops. Do they find it hard to believe that I killed Jason? Maybe it's because I didn't tell them immediately…

There's nothing I can do to change the fact I didn't tell them before, so I just answer the question.

"Yes. I killed him, and I'm sure he's dead. I tore him to pieces, and my power devoured the slurry that was left."

There's silence for a few seconds while we keep up our run, before finally they both speak together again.

"Thank you Shiro."

Oh… I guess they hated Jason as much as I hate Shin…

I find a smile working its way onto my face as I realize something.

I helped them.

"You're welcome."

We make the rest of the trip to the private air-strip in companionable, or perhaps contemplative, silence.

Finally the pathfinder has us leave the increasingly low roof tops, and we instead begin running through the shadowy ally-ways.

Nothing goes wrong, we arrive at the air-strip without a problem, and our escape plane is exactly where it should be.

Shin is standing on the runway, in-between us and the plane. He is alone.

He's staring directly at us.

No.

He's staring directly at me.


	15. Red Light

Centipedes Eat Worms 1.13

…

He was just standing there.

Thirty meters separated us from him, and thirty meters separated him from the idle plane.

His arms were crossed, and he seemed utterly indifferent to our presence.

Except... I was certain that his eyes were staring directly into mine.

We all stood still for a moment, and simply looked back at the relaxed, standing form of Shin.

Then Kim's voice sounded in our coms again, cold and professional.

"Nagase, go get the plane ready for takeoff. Shiro and I will cover you and take care of Shin and anyone he might have brought with him. Shiro. Shin has never been seen fighting at range before, **do not** attempt melee combat."

Nagase hesitated, and seemed ready to object, but before she could speak Kim was sprinting to the side. Her wrist was lined up with Shin, and the weapon on her arm began to hum the moment he was no longer in-between her and the plane.

While she was running I was being bathed in the red, pulsating fluid that is my biomass.

Finally, Nagase began sprinting forward, directly toward Shin and the plane. After she had moved ten meters, she bent her knees and leapt.

The same armor I had used back on the top floor of the palace finished taking form over my body again, except this time, both of my arms extended into long, spike covered spirals like the one I used on the blond thing earlier. Nagase's jump-pack activated and propelled her in a high arc over Shin, as she too pointed her wrist weapon at him, with its hum joining Kim's as she poured fire onto Shin from above.

Then he was gone.

Before I could begin to move into position to fire my spikes at him, he reappeared directly in front of me.

His eyes were burrowing into mine, they were… Blue, yet within them there was a second ring. It's difficult to look at it… It's red… but it seems like…

I jerked myself out of his thrall, planted my foot on the ground and propelled myself backwards, while lashing out with my centipede tendrils, looking to cleave him at his waste and his shoulders.

Again he was gone, then I heard a voice… Behind me!

"Is that anyway to greet your master White Grub?"

I could see him standing there with the extra sense tissues I had grown all over my armor.

His arms were still crossed and his face still failed to show any feelings,

I focused my will, and two more centipede tendrils erupted from my back and moved to impale him through his stomach and sternum.

He disappeared again…

Before reappearing in front of me again, slightly out of range of the two tendrils that had just finished moving back into position at my sides after my failed first attempt to murder him.

"Or do you no longer go by that name…"

Nagase landed near the plane, and Kim's voice sounded off again, still cold and commanding.

"Nagase! Don't hesitate! Get that plane ready to move now! Shiro! Drop to the ground!"

I trusted her, and flattened myself to the tarmac.

The light and vibration sensitive tissues, covering my outer flesh, died as they picked up a stream of white light passing over the ground around me, quickly followed by the fierce crack of a sonic boom.

The warehouses far behind me were shattered immediately before bursting into flames.

My sense tissues reformed, and I pushed myself up on my toes and the sharpened points at the ends of my distended arms, while the four centipedes sprouting from my back twisted and squirmed through the air around me; searching for wherever the threat would reappear. I can't bring myself to believe it would be that easy.

I felt a sharp pain twisting through my back, and then Shin's form was visible again.

He was standing to my side, and he was out of the range of my tendrils again. My **three** tendrils.

He had finally unfolded his arms, and now he was dispassionately waving my severed centipede tendril in one of his hands while the other hung limply at his side. His eyes are still locked onto my own, even though they were covered by my faceless helmet.

"Or do you perhaps prefer the name "Centipede""

I willed the tendril he was holding to twist and shred his hand with its legs while lunging forward and tearing out his gut… But nothing happened. It wasn't just cut off from my body, every cell within it had died…

I could already see it beginning to rot.

My senses were killed again by the searing white projectiles that burned their way through the space where Shin was standing, before eradicating yet more of the building near us and further illuminating the area with the burning rubble.

 **Was** standing…

I leapt up into a crouch, and desperately tried to locate Shin.

He was on my other side now.

He never stopped staring at me as he continued speaking.

"That's the name the public decided on for my "challenger", after he broke into my house and killed one of my worthless spawn using what seemed like a giant centipede during my absence."

He tossed my dead tendril to the side, and disappeared again, an instant before more white streaks passed through his position.

My senses had adapted to the light by this point, so there was no longer a delay before my vision informed me of his new location.

Behind me again.

Faster than a human eye could track I was before him, with my one left tendril curling around his side, while it's razor sharp legs stretched out to impale him, and my two right tendrils doing the same from above, and from his right.

I stuck nothing.

Shin can move the same way that Thing had moved, and Shin is better at it.

Kim had stopped moving for a moment, around 20 meters from where I was standing.

"We can do it Shiro. Nagase is already warming up the plane's engines."

He words were confirmed by a slowly building whine coming from the places engines, somehow we ended up only twenty meters in front of the plane on its runway.

It would be virtually impossible to win here on open ground…

What should I do?

Shin's voice rang out again.

"I've decided Centipede. You are now my new dog. You will take Jason's place as the executor of my will in this city.

…

This time I turned slowly, and straightened up to "face" Shin. Without making any threatening movements, so much as possible when I had shifted my body into a bioweapon.

I just stared at him silently, while the sight on the back of my head watched Kim move behind me. An implement attached to her left arm began glowing an angry red.

I slowly made my body shift as I assimilated my tendrils into my back.

The shell of flesh that was covering my head receded into my body, and I made the long spines on my arms shift back into hands.

Finally I began walking toward Shin all while holding his stare.

It would be much easier to kill him if I'm close to him.

The armor on my hands recedes into my shifting flesh.

It would be much easier to kill him if I can wait for a time, and evolve first.

The armor on my legs recedes and I continue walking forward in my bare feet.

Nothing he can do to me will be able to break me down.

The armor on my torso flows back under my pale skin through the holes in my cloths.

By becoming his dog I will be guaranteeing his death at my hands.

I remove the hacking tool I never needed and toss it to the side.

Abandoning a couple of strangers I've barely known for a day is nothing compared to that.

I unstrap my jump-pack and cast it aside.

This man killed my mother and mounted her like an animal. I wouldn't hesitate to butcher a thousand strangers to take his life.

I remove my mask and toss it to the side.

The whine from the plane's engines has become a roar, but I can still hear Nagase's voice in my ear, and her horror is palpable.

"Shiro… What are you doing?"

I answer her with a cold voice.

"Ensuring my possession of what I value most."

I'm only half a meter from Shin when I stop walking. He's been invariably staring me directly in the eye the entire time. I have to constantly stop myself from being drawn into focusing on the red rings he has within them, and the desire to stare just a little bit deeper than that. It gets harder not to with every step. I'm sure that there is some sort of knowledge, buried in his eyes, which I desperately need to obtain, but still I hold myself back.

"What do I get out of being your dog Shin?"

I can't let him get suspicious of my true motives, nothing I've done has indicated them so far.

"You will maintain my power over this city. That is both your job and the source of your sustenance. Get on your knees and submit to me and I will explain your tasks."

Five meters behind me I can hear Kim, begin to shout at me.

"SHIRo…"

Before her voice drops off when she sees me tilt forward on my toes and drop to my knees in front Shin.

There is less than 50 centimeters between Shin and I now.

I fold my hands together in front of me and raise them toward Shin in supplication.

"What do you desire of me master"

He stares into my eyes before laughing…

"You intend to serve me until you are strong enough to kill me. You'll never be strong enough. You will serve me for the rest of your life and nothing will ever change."

He closes his eyes still chuckling and shakes his head.

…

The flesh I had been concentrating in my body explodes into a vast sea of red, as every part of my body transforms into something akin to razor wire. Apart, of course, from my now decapitated head which had been launched backwards when the rest erupted into a sharp crimson mass.

My head had been flipping backward through the air for a half a second and new, red, pulsating biomass was rapidly flowing out of my neck into the shape of a torso.

In that moment I saw Kim's armor surging forward underneath my still flying head. Her Jump-Pack was pushing her forward faster than I had ever seen before, and the device on her left arm was bathing everything around her with red light as it moved to complete a forward thrust.

A quarter second passes.

My head flips a little more and I see Shin's form. Trapped in a forest of red razor wire, after somehow managing to avoid being cut anywhere on his on his body, but ending up pinned within it anyway.

His eyes were wide with shock, but his mouth was beginning to shift into an arrogant smirk, before he noticed Kim's rapidly approaching red, glowing fist, and his smirk froze.

I wouldn't hesitate to butcher a thousand strangers to kill Shin.

But Kim and Nagase are not strangers, and I am not alone.

I am a member of the Jiha crime family, and they are both my family in turn.

Red light consumes my vision, and for a moment I am blinded again, even though I shut my eyes to protect them. My head, and the rapidly growing red biomass attached to it, hit the ground.

I hear a body fall, and my new flesh has finally healed enough for me to stand up and take a look.

I see something I have longed to see for nearly a decade.

Shin's blood.

…

The experience is ruined by the fact that it is only flowing from a narrow gash below his right eye.

The sight of Kim lying on her back, rapidly bleeding out from the hole in her left shoulder where her arm has been eradicated, drains away satisfaction that had survived.


	16. Departures

**Woooinion**

Centipedes Eat Worms 1.14

I freeze in shock for only a moment, before I draw on Invictus and my wavering will is replaced with a mind of steel.

Kim is bleeding out. I have the potential to heal others but I haven't developed it… At all…

 **There is no time for regrets now.**

I have only forty five kilos of extra biomass left in me, and whatever device Kim used to injure Shin, has destroyed all of the biomass I expended to keep him from running away.

Considering Shin… He's not just bleeding from his cheek, he's drenched in sweat.

His chest is heaving, and his eyes are bloodshot.

The plane has finally begun to taxi forward, slowly gaining speed as it moves further up the runway toward us. I hear Nagase shouting desperately through our link.

"I've got the plane rigged to takeoff. I'm on my way to help! Shiro, get Nagase into the plane, I'll hold Shin off until we can make our escape."

…

I can make that work.

I shifted the same reinforcement I used when I first fought Jason into my body and dashed forward to get in between Kim's prone form and Shin.

Shin straightened up and his eyes locked on to mine again. The mask of indifference he was wearing has been demolished. In its place I see the desire he had in his eyes the day he sent me to Jason, magnified to manic insanity.

He didn't even glance at Kim.

I shifted my right hand into a blade and make a swipe for his throat.

He swatted my arm aside like a fly.

Why did he bother…?

I shifted my weight and twisted with the momentum to whip my now clawed left foot at his knee.

He hopped back and started ranting, a crazed smile filled with avarice twisted on his face.

"Yes! Excellent! You're just like your mother! Truly you are my most prized possession!"

I don't really care what he has to say anymore. I need to keep him away from Kim, and I can't give him time to recover. I'm certain of it now. He exhausted his ability to manipulate time in order to deflect Kim's weapon.

We still have a chance!

I dig my left foot's claws into the ground and launch myself, continually shifting my flesh to work with my momentum and power a round house to his hip with my now spiked right heel.

He catches the leg in his bare hand just above the spike.

"No matter what I do to you, you won't break will you?"

He twists his wrist and any delusions that I had about competing with him in martial arts like this are shattered along with my ankle.

He tosses me back like it's nothing and I land on my left hand before flipping back to my now restored feet.

The space I had tried to buy for Kim, is gone just as fast as it was gained, and again I find myself internally cursing my failure to develop my ability to heal others…

"Or perhaps… there is one more thing for me to take away before you become the perfect possession…"

His eyes leave mine, and drift toward the bleeding form of Kim behind me.

I need to keep his attention on me!

"I'm not your possession!"

I burst forward again, and move through a flurry of slashes and jabs, extending my limbs into blades during the swipes, before shifting the precious biomass elsewhere.

He actually seems amused, and he humors my attempts by dancing backwards while slapping away the occasional blow that gets to close, while speaking in a condescending tone.

"The calf of my cow is also my calf Centipede."

I have bought 3 meters of space for Kim, when Shin decides to put me in my place.

My assault instantly becomes a desperate defense when Shin began surging forward and striking at me.

At first I can block with only a little trouble, but with every strike I block, I can feel the biomass I used to block with become drastically weaker.

I've lost 2 meters of ground again, and I feel like I've lost 5 kilos of biomass.

"Shiro duck!"

When I hear Nagase's voice coming through the com, I don't hesitate to comply. I hear a familiar hum, as the air above me is rapidly displaced, and watch Shin start dancing around the covering fire Nagase is giving from the plane as it gradually continues approaching us while picking up speed.

I haul Kim's fallen form over my shoulder, and find myself gaining a new appreciation for how heavy powered armor can be, before sprinting toward the door of the approaching plane.

"Nagase! Do you have any way to stop the bleeding?"

She doesn't stop firing at Shin's somehow continually dodging form.

He's beginning to gain speed…

"It's in my suit. Get in the plane!"

I finally reach the side of the plane, and Nagase stops firing to help pull me and Kim up into the door.

…

That was a mistake.

In the moment that I pass Kim into Nagase's arms none of us is watching Shin.

I feel a strong hand grasp my shoulder.

I reflexively attempt to shake him off, by growing razor blades out of the flesh he has grasped, but any of my flesh that nears his hand becomes weak and unresponsive. Before I can do anything else I've been pulled back out of the entrance of the plane.

In an instant Nagase is at the entrance again firing off an invisible wave of force at Shin.

I'm being tossed through the air, but I can still see Shin's hand flying up to meet the force, instead of trying to dodge, Shin strikes the force, and it dissipates an instant later, without hitting his center of mass.

He isn't breathing heavily anymore.

Shin disappears.

Finally I land again, about 5 meters away from the door of the still accelerating plane, and I hear a sharp crack and a pained choking sound through my pathfinder.

I push off and try to sprint back to the plane.

"Those girls really special are special to you, aren't they Centipede."

… But before I can even see what's going on I'm struck from behind in the center of my spine. I feel like I've been hit my Jason.

I'm flying forward on the runway, and I can't feel anything below my waste.

I rapidly shift the dying biomass in my spine out for new material, and grow a single red tendril from by back.

"I'll add them to my collection…"

I feel half a dozen blows hit me at once. My tendril is severed, my knees and elbows break, and I can feel my left lung start to break down.

"Maybe they'll give me more high quality spawn like your mother did."

I fall down to my shattered, decaying knees.

…

I have no extra biomass left.

The plane is growing closer rapidly, and I can see its front wheel starting to lift off the ground.

Nagase is leaning out and beginning to raise her wrist with effort.

There's a fist sized crater in the solar plexus of her suit. It looks like it rusted somehow.

Shin is kneeling in front of me, staring directly into my eyes, with a smile on his face.

"I guess I'd better make sure my new trophies don't get away now, shouldn't I?"

There's a humming sound as Nagase's weapon launches its projectiles at Shin's head briefly before it drops off along with Nagase's exhausted arm.

Shin doesn't even bother to change where he's standing. He simply skips the time between crouching and ducking, and avoids the projectiles like it was nothing.

"Do you think they'll kill themselves after they bare my children like your mother did?"

I jerk my body into his, and force what is left of my body to shift into a cloud of razor blades and flying blood, not even holding back the biomass in my own head.

I know no more.

…

(Nagase's POV)

…

That monster dodged my shots.

My suit is losing power, and I don't have the strength to raise my weapon again.

…

Shiro somehow jerks himself into Shin… and… Shiro's body explodes into a cloud of blood and tiny tendrils.

…

The plane is still taking off like I rigged it to…

…

Shin isn't even scratched. But he's covered in… Shiro's… blood… Shin is pinned in a cloud of red razor wire.

…

We've left the ground.

…

I close the door.

Tears are falling from my eyes, but now is not the time to cry.

I activate a compartment on my right leg and weakly pull out a small canister.

I spray the bleeding hole where sister's arm should be but isn't.

Sister will live.

…

I only had a little brother for a day, but it was a good day.

I will live.

…

We tried to help him, and we just ended up getting him killed.

We can't do this again.

…

If we try to bring anyone else into our family, they will just die.

Die like father did.

…

Die like Shiro did.

…

We're like demons made of steel.

Everyone who tries to help us dies.

…

I shift my helmet back into my suit, and slowly pull off my dying armor.

…

Finally I manage to pull myself out of it and I can move without it getting in the way.

I drag Sister's thankfully still breathing body into a better position, and then walk back to the cockpit.

…

I need to make sure we make our escape flight safely.

…

The least we can do is live on for Brother's sake.

…

(Shin's POV)

I can see it in my son's eyes!

Yes!

He'll break this time!

He'll be utterly mine!

Just one more, delicate application of the truth, and I'll have my prize!

I lower my voice into a whisper and carefully keep the rage that sow's defiance still stirs within me out os my voice:

"Do you think they'll kill themselves after they bare my children like your mother did?"

My dog jerks himself forward.

Hah! What's he going to do? Bite me?

…

I barely manage to slow time enough again with my worn body to avoid being killed by the mass of razor sharp tendrils that erupt from his form to tear me apart.

I'm trapped in a cloud of razors for the second time, and I'm breathing heavily.

The plane!

Desperately I try to salvage the situation.

At the least I can retrieve those two marvellously rebellious trophies!

I can't escape in time without being shredded to ribbons, and I can't manipulate time again while I'm this exhausted.

The plane has taken off, it is beyond my range and getting further away rapidly.

"NO! THEY GOT AWAY! CURSE YOU SHIRO YOU WORTHLESS GRUB!"

I'm covered from head to toe in the decaying blood of my wretch of a son.

…

I catch my breath and calm myself. This can still be salvaged.

I'll call my contacts in the Japanese government, and find out where the plane is going to land.

Yes that will be good.

A resigned smile actually starts to make its way onto my face and I mumble to myself with amusement.

"Heh… I may have lost my new prized dog, but in return I'll have the thrill of hunting myself some new cattle… They're more like my old favorite than I thought… I wonder if the cycle really will repeat itself, and I'll receive high quality dogs from them like Shiro…"

…

Idly I scratch the strangely itchy gash on my face that still hasn't started to clotted yet…

Ugh I got some of the filth covering me in my cut.

Disgusting, some of it might actually be inside me now.

I begin walking away to where I ordered the spawn that drives my car to wait for me, and I can't help but continue scratching the gash on my face.

…

Did my dog have some kind of disease?

…

It hurts.

MY face feels like it's burning!

No it's worse than that, and it's spreading.

I look down at my hands and feel horror building within me when I see my veins bulging out under my skin.

Desperately I search for the lines of fate binding whatever it is I've been infected with, so I can push them to the edge of death.

I can't see any line of fate.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHH… **AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!** "

I'm writhing on the ground now and clawing desperately at my face.

I feel like my own blood is eating me.

MY face **collapses** under my fingers.

…

I can't scream anymore, but the pain has only gotten worse.

…

My eyes are starting to dissolve. I can't even see my own fate anymore.

I'm being covered in a pulsating, red liquid, leaking from my own body.

I can't see any more…

There is only pain…

Wh Wh.. What hap pe n e…

…

(Centipede POV)

I can feel myself gaining strength.

I'm not really sure who I am.

The thing I fed on is nearly gone now.

I finish absorbing it, and I'm not sure what else I should do with myself.

I am a flowing mass of red life, but I have no purpose.

I will find somewhere to hide until I remember.

I flow off and find a small, dark place, out of the way.

I sleep, and my form begins shifting back into that which my healing mind tell it feels right.

 _ **End of Part 1**_


	17. Diplomacy

Centipedes Eat Worms 2.1

 **Age: … unknown**

 **Mental Stability: … No Comment…**

 **Location: … unknown**

I awaken in a garden paradise… no this isn't a paradise. Some of these plants look as dangerous as they are beautiful, and others aren't beautiful at all.

This isn't a paradise, this is…

The color, the chaos, the growth, the inconsistency, and the ugliness…

Somehow I'm certain I understand this place.

This is a shrine to the idea of life…

I feel a tension within myself.

I... I need to evolve.

With that realization I feel my awareness grow.

There are four paths available to me… Which one would be most useful…

 _ **She lost her arm because of me…**_

!

What! I remembered something!

… Nothing specific, just a feeling…

It was… a regret… Someone I care about was hurt because of me?

 _ **She might be dead because I couldn't help anyone but myself**_

I feel a profound sense of guilt and shame.

I… what can I do? What did I learn instead of helping the person who was important to me?

 _50% of maximum potential in the path of self biomancy has been achieved_

A voice?

I… am I insane?

…

I feel myself begin to panic, no memories besides a sense of guilt, I'm trapped in a place I don't recognize, and now I have a voice in my head.

And just as soon as my panic begins, it is shattered by the iron force of my will.

 _Invictus_

It doesn't matter if I feel guilt.

It doesn't matter if I failed in the past.

It doesn't even matter if I'm crazy and have a voice in my head.

I have power.

If I failed to heal the person I cared about before, then I will gain the power I need to heal them now.

Yes.

I have a goal now.

I don't know who it is that I failed, and I don't know where they are, but I will find them, and when I do, I will make amends.

Where once there was uncertainty, now there is determination.

I know exactly what to do.

I reach out to the path of outside biomancy, and pour all my strength into it.

 _25% of maximum potential in the biomancy of others achieved_

… So the voice is there to convey information to me? I can deal with that.

I have no name and I have no history, but I have a goal.

I will find the person I failed and make amends.

The next time we meet I'll make her whole.

…

I open my eyes and see nothing.

I'm in a small dark place, and my body in curled into a ball.

My nose twitches and I detect the scent of smoke.

I uncurl myself and follow it, and soon I can see light at the end of the downward inclined metal tunnel _air-duct_. The scent of smoke is getting stronger, and can feel a dry heat starting to build as I draw nearer to the exit.

I reach the end of the duct and peak out while cracing myself on its uncomfortably warm walls.

I'm leaning out a broken _airduct_ inside a large, demolished burning building. _Warehouse_

What kind of moron hides in a burning building?

Whatever. I don't need to remember my past to know that staying in a burning building is a bad idea.

I squint through the smoke, and my eyes begin to sting. Reflexively I will my body to shift, and a clear second eyelid grows over my eyes.

Now that I can see clearly, I look around for a place that isn't on fire and see a space in the distance that seems to be producing less smoke.

Good enough.

I start running toward the place that **isn't** on fire. All around me I can see shattered, burning buildings, and I find myself leaping over, and weaving around debris more often than not.

It is during this process that I realize something. I am not wearing shoes.

…

Or anything else.

For some reason I feel uncomfortable, and just like with the smoke, my body responds immediately.

Red liquid begins leaking from my skin, and soon I'm immersed in pulsating _biomass_ that immediately bends to my will.

I feel a recollection of a shell I could make with this liquid. That would be better than being naked.

In an instant the _my_ biomass has shifted into the form of a faceless suit of black bioarmor.

…

That's better.

I continue my run toward the place without fire and finally I reach a wide empty stretch of _ashvault_ …

Make that mostly empty. The light sensitive tissues on my mask, focus on 5 individuals standing and crouching out near a narrow length of the surface, what are they doing?

Irrelevant. They have clothes, I can acquire them.

I put on a burst of speed and in an instant I am standing 2 meters away.

I can see them better now.

One of them seems to be wearing some kind of helmetless black armor, and he has some sort of weapon strapped loosely over his shoulder. _Knock-off_ s

Each of the other men, also has a gun of some sort strapped visibly to their person.

They still haven't noticed me yet, so I continue my inspection beyond essentials.

They seem to be inspecting a small pile of objects, a small backpack _jump-pack,_ some-sort of reflective object with a strap _hacking tool_ , and… a mask.

They're fiddling with these objects using knives, and for some reason that infuriates me.

… "… _ **. Aren't like Shin or Jason. We won't kill when we don't have to."**_

...

I'm not sure who Shin and Jason are, but just thinking of their names fills me with disgust and hatred…

I don't want to be like them.

…

I decide to solve this problem through diplomacy. The calm application of reason, should allow me to achieve my goals without unnecessary blood-shed.

Silently, I grow a new organ on my faceless helmet that should allow me to communicate. I speak in a load rasping, voice that seems to resonate through the area, and initiate negotiations.

" **Give me your clothes, stop touching those objects and get away from this place if you want to live."**

Good. My voice was clearly audible, and I stated what I desired to obtain from these negotiations, while outlining something they stand to gain. Now I just need to wait for their counter offer.

They jumped, and the two men who were jimmying the hacking tool and the jump-pack respectively, snapped both of the objects apart with their sudden bursts of movement.

They turned to me, and the one in the black armor began to speak to me with a sneer on his face.

"Eeeeeh?! **Who** the He….."

He froze mid-sentence, and as did each of the men I'm assuming are his subordinate when they looked at me.

…

"Ahhhh!"

They all just started screaming, and then they started scrambling for their weapons, except for the one in the back who had been holding up the mask, _**My mask.**_

He had fallen on his bottom, and was currently crab walking desperately away from me, without ever taking his eyes off my form.

… This isn't going well. I need to salvage this situation.

" **Do not attempt to fight me, comply with my demands."**

Yes. That message will make them hesitate to use their weapons and draw their attention back to what I demanded in the negotiations, so they would be motivated to give their counter offers.

All, but the still crab walking man in the back, bring their weapons to bear and start firing.

Negotiations have failed…

I want to finish this quickly.

A centipede tendril burst from the back of my armor, and swipes among them four times.

The shooting stops. They have all been decapitated.

…

I messed up. Their clothes are dirty now.

…

I detect the crab-walker's movement again, and realize that this situation may still be salvaged.

In a burst of speed I'm only half a meter from his shaking form.

He seems to have torn the skin on his palms by moving in the ridiculous way he is. No matter, time to see if he is less incompetent at negotiations than his former companions.

" **You. Cease your movements, drop the mask and give me your clothes."**

He's silent for a moment, and then I smell urine…

He then tosses my mask out of his hands like it burned him, and began to strip.

Everything…

…

He's naked now, his clothes are to the side, and he he's just looking up at me from the ground and shaking.

* **Sigh** *

None of these people know how to use diplomacy…

At least he's better than his friends.

I'll just do his end of the negotiations too.

" **I only require your coat, take the rest with you."**

I then crouch down and lay my hand on him.

He whimpers and shuts his eyes tightly, but otherwise doesn't move.

I reach out to his flesh with the path of outside biomancy, and repair the damage he did to his palms. I notice some damage to his lungs and throat as well, _smoker_ and repair that as an afterthought.

He starts for a moment, and then reluctantly opens his eyes when I remove my hand from his body.

I take his thankfully unsoiled coat from the pile, and pick up…my mask, before concluding negotiations.

" **I have healed you as payment for your coat. Now go."**

He jabbers something incomprehensible, scrambles over to his clothes, picks them up and then starts sprinting away from me as fast as his legs, and newly repaired respiratory system, could carry him without even bothering to put them back on.

…

I collect the extra biomass contained in the still warm bodies around me, but I can't help but mumble to myself…

" **I'm never going to attempt diplomacy again."**


	18. Old Friends

Centipedes Eat Worms 2.2

I watched the naked man continue to sprint barefoot across the ashvault in the dead of winter for another five seconds before I decided I never wanted to see something like this again, and turned away to face the corpses of his friends.

Not that it helped me considering that my entire helmet was covered in light sensitive tissues.

I shouldn't let this extra biomass go to waste.

Instinctually I knew how to assimilate the extra biomass into my own form. I willed it and innumerable razor sharp red tendrils rose up all around the torso of my armor.

They then lunged forward and began to rapidly consume the headless corpses, just in time for the gradually slowing naked man to risk a glance over his shoulder.

…

Apparently he can run faster now than he could when he started. Huh. Maybe he was getting used to his healed respiratory system…

Whatever.

I've finished my assimilation now, so it's time to move on.

First I will find a place that isn't on fire. I'll wing it from there.

With that, I blurred into motion, and left the empty airstrip, and the burning warehouses behind.

I made my way into the slums and found an empty ally before assimilating my armor.

I had nothing the wear but a far too large coat, and,,, _**my mask**_.

I'm… not sure why, but this mask is special to me… I think… it might be linked to the person I want to heal.

Good. Every memory I regain related to this will bring me closer to my goal.

I strap the snarling mask on, and somehow, just wearing it makes me feel like I am not alone.

… It is… a pleasant feeling.

Finally, I put on the coat and pull its hood over my head. It's worn out and grey; the bottom reaches past my knees, the sleeves are far too long for my arms, and the hood is so oversized that it completely hides my face from view.

From what I've seen of the street children so far, wearing these clothes will cause anyone who sees me to reflexively ignore my existence. It's a peculiar habit, but since experience has taught me that attempting to ask for what I need will only make things worse, and killing random people will not get me information, it is one I will be taking advantage of to eavesdrop.

The sun is finally starting to rise, and now is as good a time as any to get started. I keep my head down and start drifting through the early morning foot-traffic.

I spend the entire day just wandering the streets and listening to conversations. Over time I've noticed two kinds of adults.

The first kind pretends I don't exist, wherever I walk, they always seem to manage not to look at me. They are the most useful because they continue speaking as if I wasn't even there.

Thanks to them I manage to learn that the former ruler of this city's underworld, and by default, its slums, has gone missing along with his chief subordinate. Apparently both of their homes were assaulted in rapid succession, and then they both went missing without a trace about a day ago. People are saying that there will be a gang war for control of the city soon.

The second kind is useless, and annoying. They seem to see my presence as a threat to their dominance and attempt to scare me away.

Most of them seem to spend their time stirring and occasionally, filling bowls from large pots of… I'm really not sure what that is…

 _Rice Porridge_

 _ **Not as good as a bento**_

I generally just ignore them, but occasionally one of them will attempt to kick or strike me. When that happens I generally catch the offending limb, and break a toe of finger before going back to ignoring them. Doing this seems to encourage even more people to avoid looking at me, so it seems to serve a purpose overall.

…

It seems that I have just encountered a third type of adult.

I've just been herded into an ally by a group of five young men.

Normally I would have slapped them down for trying, but for some reason these men seem familiar, so I decide to go along with them in hopes of remembering more.

They're dressed similarly to the five I encountered on the runway earlier. Everyone is ignoring us even more carefully then they ignored me after breaking offending toes and fingers earlier.

"Oi Brat! Are you listening to me?! Ehhh?"

One of them is leaning down toward my face and sneering deeply while his companions laugh around him.

Well, I might as well answer him.

"No. Nothing you said seems important, so I was ignoring you."

He seems stunned and actually nearly trips backwards for some reason.

His companions are also silent for a moment before they suddenly start laughing hysterically while gesturing as the speaker.

"The brat has you pegged Kenji!" "Even gutter trash can tell you full of hot air!"

"Kenji", just sputters for a moment, before he seems to decide to save face by getting back into mine.

He leans down, gasps the neck of my jacket and lifts me up. Or at least, I think that's what he's trying to do. In reality, my coat is far too large for me, so he just seems to be awkwardly tugging it around.

"You've got a lot of cheek for gutter trash! I was going to go easy on you, just rough you up to teach you some respect, but now you've disrespected me, and by disrespecting me you've disrespected Aogiri Tree!"

He's showcasing some sort of patterned scarf now, but I'm too busy wondering why that name seems so familiar, and evokes such feelings of rage with me, to pay any attention.

He's sneering again. I think he believes himself to be intimidating. Finally he looks over his shoulder and barks.

"Hey boys, why don't we have a little reinactment with this brat? You guys remember when we kicked the teeth out of that albino freak for our initiation?"

…

 _ **"What are you waiting for? Whoever knocks out his last tooth passes initiation!"**_

…

I think they are still talking about something, but I've stopped listening. I've just remembered where I recognize these men from. I remember what Aogiri Tree is.

Most importantly, I remember exactly why I hate it and all its members.

"Kenji" has just finished his running start, and he's about to kick me in the face.

I catch his foot with one hand, crush it into a pulp, and toss the now screaming man back onto his bum.

I lift up my hood revealing my white hair, red eyes, and snarling mask, before raising my chin and staring at the stunned group while tuning out Kenji's screams.

I maintain eye contact, while I dexterously remove my jacket.

I'm a skinny, only four feet tall, and almost completely naked, yet, their eyes are locked onto mine and filled with fear.

"I'm going to eat you now."

A rational emotion for them to have, but it won't do them any good.

Four Centipede Tendrils erupt from my back, chattering their mandibles, and twitching their legs wildly.

Kenji stops screaming, and relieves himself instead.

"Ce Ce Cen… CENTIPIDE!"

My tendrils lance forward, and tear them apart.

The people outside who were expecting to ignore the cries of a child, instead practice their ability to ignore the screams of dying men.

…

When it's over, I walk out of the ally alone, and unmarred, with my coat's hood once again obscuring my face.

Instead of being ignored like I expected, I see a small crowd huddled together across the narrow slum street, staring at the ally's entrance, and whispering to each other.

When they see my form emerge from the ally immediately a hush falls over them, and they all just stare at the ground.

I gaze at them dispassionately, before the silence is abruptly broken by a small, clear voice.

"Mommy it's the Centipede! That's the one who killed Jason the Man-eater and King Shin!"

A child who managed to slip into the front of the crowd has just pointed at me and repeated what all the adults seem to have deluded themselves into thinking I didn't hear them saying before. A woman I assume is the child's mother rapidly clasps her hand over the child's mouth before scooping him up and disappearing out the back of the deathly silent crowd, and into an ally.

I let the silence fester a moment, before I finally just turn and walk away from the crowd while mumbling to myself.

"Centipede. So that's my name."

No one moves or says a thing until I disappear into another slum street.

I've learned some useful information today.

Apparently I've become an urban legend, and I'm the swarn enemy of the ruling faction of the city's underworld.

The sun is setting and I decide I've learned enough for one day.

I navigate my way through the back streets until I find myself a dead end, out of the wind.

I curl up under my jacket, and allow myself to fall asleep.


	19. Omukade

Centipedes Eat Worms 2.3

I've spent the last few days wondering the streets in the same way I did before. My actions haven't changed, but the way the adults around me act has shifted noticeably.

It isn't only me, really. Where once adults treated the street children as if they didn't exist at best, and as vermin at worst, now there is a sort of trepidation whenever an adult sees a child whose face is hidden by a long hood.

Unsurprisingly, the street children have taken to wearing hoods whenever their own dingy coats provide them, and cobbling together makeshift hoods when there are none available.

At first I didn't understand, until I managed to catch the end of a conversation that an older gutter child was sharing with a couple of his friends.

…

"… but it turns out, the Centipede wasn't really a cape. He's a spirit! Omukade! The gods had sent him to punish the evil rulers of Tokyo. However, after he finished his task, he looked at the people of the city and was disgusted with the wickedness of the adults. He petitioned the ones who sent him to continue his work and they said yes. Now he wanders the streets in the form of a child, and whenever he sees an adult acting unjustly… He eats them!"

…

I may have lost my memories, but I am absolutely certain I am not a spirit.

Still, the children took advantage of the legends making their way around town, by making sure they were indistinguishable from the rather vague description.

It was none of my concern, but I found the benefits of blending more effectively with the other street children, were equally offset, but the tendency of some adults to avoid us.

It took me five days before I found some information that was actually useful.

I was hungry, and I had no intention of indulging in the rice gruel the street venders were peddling, so I followed my nose until I found my way into a slightly nicer part of town.

It was night already, but I only really sleep for the sake of habit rather than necessity at this point. The moon would be full soon, and I had every intention of taking advantage of its light.

I finally found my way through the somewhat wider alleys to the open door of some sort of kitchen.

My bare feet didn't make a sound when I wondered into the kitchen, and searched for what smelled so good.

There was an older couple frantically working the stove tops. Both of them seemed to be trembling. I just stood there watching for a few moments, working myself up to attempting diplomacy again, when suddenly a younger woman burst into the kitchen through another door, with a tray clutched tightly to her chest and terror on her face. She was closely followed by the sound of crude laughter.

"Mother, Father please hurry! I'm don't think I can go back out there if I don't have something to…"

Then her eyes finally picked up my hooded form, and she hitched a breath.

All my experience with diplomacy told me she was about to scream.

Before she could make a sound, blunt tendrils launched their way out of my sleeves, and rendered her unconscious before proceeding to do the same with her parents. I was careful to lower the older couple away from the stove top to make sure they didn't fall onto their _woks_ and spoil the food.

…

I should have known better than to consider diplomacy…

I then turned off the stove top in accordance with the knowledge provided from the strange voice within me to make sure my new food wouldn't be burnt before checking to make sure I wasn't at risk of killing the people in the kitchen accidentally.

I laid my hands on them one at a time, and used my biomancy to undo the potential damage they would have received from the head trauma. While I was working I noticed and removed some tumors from the older woman's mammaries and some _cataracts_ from the man as payment, and then begin eating.

While I do, I take the opportunity to listen to the very load men further inside the building.

"The meeting place has been decided. All the remaining officers of Aogiri Tree are going to the Pit tomorrow night to attempt to come to some sort of settlement before this mess boils over into a war." "Hahaha, I figure it might just work! Everyone will have their blood lust slated before they negotiate so they can focus on the money when they get to business."

" _ **I'm eight, and I'm in the pit again…"**_

…

I clench my jaw and continue eating.

I'm about half full, and I've listened to several strange comments about reproductive anatomy that these men apparently found entertaining when I hear the sound of a thrown bottle breaking against the door to the _dining area_.

"Oi! What's taking so long you pathetic geezers!? If the food still isn't ready then send us out some *hic* entertainment."

…

Well, I feel like I've still gotten the better end of the unnegotiated deal I made with the family currently sleeping on the kitchen floor, so I might as well get rid of some vermin for them.

I take off my coat and hang it up on a rack with three other close to the back door.

I walk back to the door to the dining area and slowly open the it. The broken glass outside the door drags against the carpet as I begin to walk through it.

Before I come into view I hear barking laughter coming from the men and they shout to me.

"Hahaha! Come now *hic* little girl, no need to be scared. We'll take *snicker* great care of you!"

The laughter picks up again, interspersed by hiccups. Then I step around the door way, and the laughter stops.

There are sputters and choking sounds before they all just freeze and stare at my masked form.

I take the time to look them over, and they don't seem like anything special.

Seven men are crouched around a long table, covered in beer bottles. None of them are dressed particularly well, and they all seem to be in between their late-teens and their late-thirties.

Suddenly one of them leaps up from the table… Or at least he tries to, but it seems like his balance has been inhibited by the alcohol. Instead he snags he leg on the table, and falls forward knocking partially empty bottles of alcohol everywhere.

Finally he pushed himself up with one arm, and jabs the finger of the other one toward me.

"You brat! Don't *hic* think that we're scared of some urban legend. We were just going to enjoy a little service here as is our right as mem *hic* members of Aogiri Tree! But you urchins had to try and get smart with us!"

He reaches into his jacket, and grips some sort of firearm. He attempts to look menacing while he slowly fumbles it out of his jacket.

I can see the other men begin to regain their bravado, and they begin to do the same as the first one speaks again.

"Well now we're going to have to make a…"

That's all he has time to say before two centipede tendrils erupt from my back and decapitate him and his companions before they even know what's happening to them.

Smaller tendrils branch off the centipedes and in a matter of moments I've assimilated 400 more kilos of biomass.

I've been getting better at the process thanks to my recent practice, and this time I manage to avoid leaving any blood stains.

I'm full now.

I begin to make my way back to the kitchen, and before I can make my way through the door I hear the sound of several people stumbling over each other as they quickly move away from where they were peeking through it.

I walk into the room, and all three members of the family are sprawled over the floor, looking up at me with fear… and something else I don't recognize.

I simply walk around them, back to the place where I hung my coat so I can go back out to search for the location of the Pit.

When I'm dressed again, and finally about to make my way back into the night, I'm interrupted by a hesitant voice from the daughter.

"Thank you."

I turn my head back to her, and she flinches away from meeting my eyes.

I decide I might as well try diplomacy one more time, maybe I'll get better results with them since we've already done business together.

"I was merely repaying your family for the food I accepted… Do you know where I can find "the Pit""

She seems stunned for a moment, but finally she answers me with a little more confidence in her voice.

"I… Yes, Yes I do know."

She stops and takes a shaky breath.

"It's under the tourism guidance center in Shibuya… I… Can I… What are you going to do when you get there?"

She seems to whither into herself after she asks her final question in a voice that is slightly loader than the whisper she had been speaking in until now.

I stare her in the face and decide that answering her question is an acceptable trade for this information. I answer in a bland voice.

"I'm going to kill and devour every single member of Aogiri Tree I find."

She starts for a moment, but finally she and her parent seem… comforted?

…

With that I decide to leave, just as I set my first foot out the door, I hear her and her parents speak.

"Please purify our city Omukade"

…

I disappear into the night to find a place the sleep.

*sigh*

Why couldn't diplomacy work with normal people?


	20. The Pit

Centipedes Eat Worms 2.4

I woke up before sunrise, and decided to make my way to Shibuya. As I began to get closer to the ward, I quickly noticed the quality of the clothing the people around me wore increasing drastically.

People still ignored me, but it seemed like it was less of a reflex, and more of an active snub.

It did not take long for me to understand that I wouldn't be able to pass below the radar while dressed in nothing but an overlarge coat.

I shifted into the alleys and searched for a solution.

About an hour later I found one.

I scaled a building from the alleyway next to it, and looked around from on top of the roof. Careful to keep my head down.

Finally I spotted what I was looking for. A child a little bit taller than me was walking down the street with his mother, toward my alley. He was wearing a black jacket with a long hood, and a pair of grey pants. They would be large on me, but that would make it easier to hide my face.

It was early in the morning and few people were around. This won't be complicated.

I leaned into the early morning shadows near the entrance and waited.

The mother and her son finally came into view.

I didn't even give them time to glance my way.

Dark tendrils lanced out of the alley, and rendered them both unconscious with blunt force before dragging them in.

I quickly stripped the jacket and pants off the boy, before finally stealing his shoes.

I then dumped the woman's handbag on the ground and rifled through it until I found a bag with a large amount of the paper notes _money_ I had seen people exchanging for goods.

Finally I took off my own worn grey jacket, and tossed it onto the boy's insensate body.

I made a quick check to find out if I had done anything permanent to either of them, and when I was satisfied, I disappeared further into the back alleys to find somewhere to change into my new clothes.

…

It was significantly easier to blend into the nicer areas of the city now that I actually had pants and shoes on.

The clothes were generally too large, but I was able to compensate by folding up the bottoms of my pants, and shifting my feet into a larger size.

" _ **Your clothes seemed rather… worn… we picked you up some new ones…"**_

" _ **No minion of mine is going to be seen walking around in rags…"**_

Another memory! There was another voice.

They both seemed to care about me. Does that mean that there are two people for me to find… No. I think they will be together…

I keep walking with my head in the clouds, casually weaving through the steadily increasing foot traffic.

I'm almost entirely certain that if I walked around like this in the slums, I would be mugged, or at least I wound be if the local thugs weren't steadily becoming terrified of hooded children.

It took me another hour, but I eventually manage to find the Tourism Guidance Center. There were no tourists. Why a tourist would want to come to a city where even the best areas have crumbling sidewalks is beyond me.

"… _**get out of this cesspit of a country…"**_

What?

The person I'm looking for, no persons. … yes they…

We?

We were planning to leave the country. But where were we going to go?

…

I don't seem to be remembering anything else.

The building may not be host to any tourists, but there are several employees present.

I decide to wait until dark to infiltrate the building. I don't want the remaining officers of Aogiri Tree to have a reason not to show up.

I simply wander around the general area, and make sure to get a view of the building from every angle possible while walking through the streets around it.

Finally I notice an air duct about 5 meters off the ground on one of the sides of the building, out of the way from the street. It's small, and no normal human being could use it to make their way into the building.

I am not normal.

That will be my way in…

There was nothing else for me to do until evening, so I decided to find somewhere I could trade my new money for food.

…

I spent everything and tried many different foods. So far it had been a wonderful day, and now that it was dark out, it was going to get even better.

I managed to sneak my way onto the top of the building, and now I'm just waiting from the roof as the officers of Aogiri Tree gather themselves into one place just for me.

I wait for several hours, until I'm sure that they have all arrived, and them I make my way over to the air dust on the side of the building.

I've already gotten rid of all of my clothing aside from my mask. Altering my form will be easier this way.

I quickly alter my feet and hands tipping them with claws, and covering the skin with strong hocked hairs. Finally I scale down the side of the building tear the outer gating off the intake. My body shifts my limbs, organs and skeleton into a narrow shape and I squirm into the metal tunnel.

…

I've been crawling through the vents for some time now. Occasionally I find paths that are being blocked off with lazily rotating fans. I'm able to make it through the easily enough by briefly shifting my body into a narrower form, and lunging through at the right time.

My nose twitches…

Finally. I've picked up a scent

Alcohol, sweet, blood and bile. I recognize this scent easily.

I follow the scent for close to a minute before I finally find what I've been looking for.

There's another fan in front of me, but just beyond that I can see where the vent stops going forward and simply drops off.

Again I shifted into my narrower form, and darted in between the spinning blades. I didn't make a sound.

I peaked over the edge for a moment, before shifting again.

The joints in my arms flow into a different orientation, and the arms themselves fold back while a second pair emerges next to them at a 90 degree angle.

I lower myself face first into the grate, and begin silently climbing my way down while my new arms brace me against each of the vent's walls.

It takes me about a minute to climb to the bottom of the drop, but finally, I'm directly above my goal.

I shift my arms back into a more normal configuration, and find a grate to kick down so I can get on with slaughtering my pray.

…

I stop for a moment, when I see out the holes in the grate.

I've never seen the Pit from this perspective before.

The same deep hole I remember is still there. It's a steep, upside-down, tipless cone. Something close to ten meters deep and around twenty meters wide at the bottom, and floored with bloody sand.

What I had never seen before was the concentric rings around the Pit's lip. Fine wooden floor, white table cloths, fine _china_ and _silverware,_ and comfortable seating.

Most significantly, each table, on each ring provides an excellent view of most of the Pit.

 _Dinner Theater_

Each table plays host to a few elaborately dressed men or women, and each person sitting down has a knockoff armored and armed guard standing behind them.

I've finally taken in enough, when suddenly I see a door in the side of the pit open up before a man wearing a fine suit walks out onto the empty sand, and speaks.

His voice is being amplified by something.

" **Honored officers of Aogiri Tree! It is my deepest wish that you will all find pleasure in this evening's refreshment. With that said, we all know that isn't why we're gathered this night."**

A chorus of angry murmurings and muttered curses rose up from the audience.

 ***ahem***

" **As I was saying, we didn't come here just to be entertained. We must find a way to select a new leader."**

This time he was interrupted by a chorus of barks and bellows and many of the officers decided to explain to the room why they ought to be in charge.

" **SHUT UP YOU ILLEGITIMATE PIG SPAWNS!"**

For some reason the room actually seemed to calm rather quickly once everyone had been insulted.

* **ahem***

" **As I was ABOUT to say… We must find a way to choose a leader from among ourselves without resorting to infighting. I have of course devised a solution."**

He pauses for effect before continuing.

" **By now you've all heard of the *spit* centipede. That pathetic ingrate has been a bane to Aogiri Tree since he appeared a little more than a week ago."**

" **He's undermined our reputation, waged a campaign of terror against our subordinates, and he's beginning to incite the slums against us."**

" **Che! Some people are even saying he's a spirit. Children dress like him!"**

He pauses again so he can take in the voices that slowly rise into an angry buzz, reviling my name.

" **SHUT UP!"**

They calm down again… There's something wrong with these people…

" **As I was SAYING… I've found a way for us to choose our leader and win back the fear and respect of the masses again."**

" **The new leader will be the one who kills the Centipede!"**

Again a chorus of shouts, boasts, and cheers rises up from the seated officers.

" **In celebration of my brilliant plan, I've brought a special guest today!"**

The door he walked in through opens again and a man wearing knockoff armor walks in carrying a squirming child wearing a tattered blue jacket, with the hood drawn over their head.

" **For your entertainment this evening, I will personally do battle with and kill one of "Omukade's disciples".**

Roars and jeers rise up from the tables again. They're baying for the child's blood.

I can see another knockoff armored form enter the chamber carrying nothing an ornate wooden box.

His counterpart finally corrals the desperately flailing form of the hooded child to the opposite side of the pit from the speaker and tears the jacket off the child before tossing… Her? Onto the ground and walking back toward the exit.

Assuming it really is a girl, she looks grimy, her shoulder length brown hair is matted, and she appears to be wearing the tattered remains of a winter kimono.

When she finally hops back to her feet she immediately sinks into a low crouch, ready to lunge in any direction.

Her head whips around and her brown eyes rapidly take in what little of the jeering crowd she can.

In any other circumstances I would call her plain, but I was able to see her eyes as they passed over my grate.

Cold, calculating, ruthless and intelligent.

This girl had the eyes of a person who understands that there is no one coming to save her, that there is no chance of survival, and yet has chosen to keep fighting for their last breath anyway.

" **Of course, I'm not just going to butcher the little mukade…We'll be having an honorable duel. One on one."**

He opens the wooden box the other armored man is holding out for him, and pulls out two tipless tantos.

He tosses one of them to the girl on the other side of the pit. I think he intended for it to sink into the ground, but instead it bounces before tumbling further forward and falling on its side about 3 meters from the girls.

He, pitifully, flourished his own tanto, and then grips it pointed nonexistent tip down.

While he's trying and failing to show off his martial skills for the crowd, the fiercely glaring girl has lunged forward and scooped her own knife out of the sand before retreating back into her side of the room with her knife held in front of her in a lose hammer grip.

Finally the other knock off armored man makes his way back out the door and shuts it again after him.

The speaker turns to face the girl and a smirk works its way onto his face.

" **What's long little mukade? Don't you have anything to say?"**

He is greeted only by the girl's cold calculating stare.

" **Oh but your tongue was so sharp earlier? Where has that little weapon gone.,, Oh! I remember now…"**

He turns around to face his audience, and chuckles before pulling a clear plastic bag out of his suit pocket.

" **I remember now… We confiscated your weapons before we brought you in here didn't we?"**

He flourished the bag for the crowd. It held a small human tongue.

He laughed loudly from his belly, and the audience joined in.

Finally he turned around again to flourish the bag at the girl.

She was sprinting toward him, and was only two meters away. She had begun her silent charge through the sand the moment his back was turned.

Clumsily he swiped at her with his downward pointed tanto. His stance was tall, rigid, and already thrown off by his own incompetent swing.

She ducked under his swing, before dropping into a slide.

She slid over the sand easily, and swung her tanto at the back of his lower leg. Severing his right Achilles tendon.

 ***AAAHHHHHHG***

He immediately fell to his side screaming curses, many of which I didn't recognize.

The girl simply hopped back out of her knees the moment the cut was made, and retreated about two meters behind the prone man's back with her now blood stained knife dripping onto the sand from her lose hammer grip.

In her free hand however, she held the plastic bag she had snatched from the speaker during her slide. The hand holding it tremored for a moment before she took a breath, and it steadied.

She delicately slipped it into a small pocket on the side of her kimono.

The speaker tried to get up again, but when he tried to put weight on his right leg be immediately collapsed back to the ground with a pained bellow.

The tables resounded with mocking laughter.

Finally the speaker had enough of the mockery.

" **What are you fools waiting for?! Get in here and kill the little rat!"**

The door burst open again, and the two men wearing knockoff armor came running through the entrance again.

The girl had a very slight smirk decorating her face, and then she lunged back at the prone speaker.

The men in the knockoff armor were on the opposite side of the Pit from her and her victim, and she was intent on taking advantage of that fact

In an instant she was swiping and hacking at the prone speaker with all of the bottled up ferocity she had been hiding behind her eyes.

" **Ahhg… Hurry up you Ahhh! SAVE ME!"**

In a matter of moments the girls had severed each of the major tendons in the man's legs and arms. Finally she straddled the man, who must have been at least a 40 centimeters taller than her before slipping her knife into his mouth mid scream.

His eyes widened and he met his assailant's eyes. He was looking for mercy, but I had seen enough of the girl's eyes to know he would find none for himself.

The armored men were only five meters away now, but that would still be too far.

With a few quick twitches of her wrist the girl cut out the speaker's tongue, before wedging his teeth apart with her knife and plunging her other hand in after it.

She tossed the newly claimed tongue into the sand, and then slit the man's throat before, a black armored leg finally knocked her off the now rapidly bleeding out Aogiri Tree officer.

The man who kicked her off then proceeded to quickly drag his boss's corpse toward the door of the Pit, while his comrade continued kicking the victorious girl.

She didn't make a sound as her ribs were broken, and her hands crushed. Finally her eyes began to drift closed, and the only expression left on her face has a small smile.

The man kicking her then pulled a weapon out of a slot on the back of his armor and pointed the sub-machine gun and her battered form.

The entire chamber was silent, it had been ever since the girl had cut out the speaker's tongue.

Finally the silence was broken by a load bang and an organic thud.

…

The grate, I had finally kicked town onto the wood floor, slowly finished clattering to the floor, while the knockoff armored man toppled into the bloody sand with a spike in his temple.

…

" _ **I heard that some people here were looking for me."**_


	21. Izanagi and the Underworld

Centipedes Eat Worms 2.5

Everyone's heads snapped toward me.

I had grown my full, faceless armor, and four centipede tendrils were weaving through the air as I stood at a slight crouch.

Two more of my tendrils whipped out, and there were two more organic thuds, as the last guard and the speaker were struck through their skulls.

The guards began reaching for their weapons, and in that moment my tendrils snapped their way through a rapid series of positions.

Every one of the dozens of lights in the Pit was shattered by a razor sharp spike.

For a moment the only light left here deep underground way from the falling sparks, then gunfire lit up the chamber for an instant, and I disappeared.

The room exploded into a rave of flashing light, the deafening sound of gunfire, and gurgled screams.

Many of the table cloths began to catch fire, adding more panic and chaos as I begin to rapidly flit around the room, decapitating officers and guards alike.

I was not the major killer.

The entire hall was consumed by flashing light and deafening gunfire, as panicking guards unleashed the full force of their weapons at wherever they thought I was.

More often than not, they simply shot anyone they could make out through the smoke blurred instants in between the darkness.

Anytime someone tried to stand up and establish order, or take cover, I was there to decapitate the prospective leader, and throw their subordinates back into the panicked blender the room had become.

If there were any capes among the room, they fell quickly thanks to their tendency to be officers, and thus armored in nothing but dress clothing. Being able to shoot a beam of energy out of your hands won't save you from a hail of panicked gunfire, and being able to throw a car, and tank an armor piercing bullet, won't save you from a tendril that was capable of cutting through Jason's black armor.

Whenever a lucky bullet managed to hit me, it was either deflected off my armor, or allowed to twist away its momentum to nothing against the firm yep flexible armor covering my torso.

After thirty seconds of chaos, the gunfire finally started to die down. Some of the table cloths were beginning to burn in earnest.

I reached out with the many sensory organs and tissues I has developed on and under my armor, and found every member of Aogiri Tree who was still breathing.

It took just ten more seconds to finish them off.

Everyone in the Pit was dead.

…

Everyone except for the girl inside the Pit at least.

... Her breathing was strained, but she would be fine for another few minutes.

My centipede tendrils shifted and sprouted into a familiar mass of razor sharp tendrils bearing tiny mouths.

I went to work.

It took me two minutes to consume all the biomass in the chamber.

Partway through my work, the girl had managed to drag herself back into consciousness. She was still breathing well enough, so I finished my work.

The now burning tables were casting bizarre shadows off my form, all over the room, as smoke began to fill the air.

Finally, I finished the last body. I had gained twenty five tons of biomass, and I had exterminated Aogiri Tree's leaders.

I merged the tendrils back into the back of my armor, and jumped down into the pit, directly in front of the girl. She was limping around the corpses of the speaker and his guard toward the still open door.

When I landed in front of her she didn't flinch. Instead she shakily raised her head to stare me in my featureless face through eyes that were nearly swollen shut.

Her broken hand shook its way into her pocket, and the removed the bag holding her tongue. Somehow she managed to keep it in her grip, while she raised a second shaking hand and gestured squarely at my chest.

She wasn't able to say anything, but the demand was clear on her face. "This is your fault. Fix it."

Technically, she was right, so I stepped closer to her, and took the bag out of her hand before emptying the tongue onto the dark, biomass claw that made up my right hand.

I motioned for her to sit down, and she collapsed on to her bottom.

Her eyes continued squinting at me from under her bangs, as I leaned down in front of her, and reached out for her mouth with the hand that was holding her tongue. She carefully opened it to give me entry.

The tongue was not in good shape, but I was able to fix that. Once my hand was in her mouth I reached out with my biomancy, and reattached and revitalized the severed muscle.

I then proceeded to repair her broken bones, bruised organs, and anything else that stood out to me.

I was not knowledgeable enough to make the process painless, but she never flinched from her squinting stare. The only sign that she was feeling anything at all was a slight grimace.

I finished my work and her eyes shot wide open when the bruising that had been sealing them shut was finally healed. In that moment, I finally noticed one more change had been made.

Where once her eyes had been a dull brown, now they were a vibrant blue, with in inner ring of red bleeding into something else that I wasn't willing to get caught in.

" _ **His eyes were burrowing into mine, they were… Blue, yet within them there was a second ring. It's difficult to look at it… It's red… but it seems like…"**_

I didn't flinch. I remember who had those eyes before.

For a moment I consider killing her right here and now… No. Killing her isn't necessary. Yet.

I stand back up and she does the same. Her eyes still locked onto my form.

…

The fire is starting to spread faster now, and all around the lip of the pit, the flickering flames were casting dancing shadows from our forms… I suppose this fire is my responsibility.

" _ **Can you walk out of here without assistance or do I need to carry you?"**_

A light scowl makes its way across her face with the last part of my question, and I see her tongue moving against her cheeks as she got used to the feeling of having one again.

Finally I hear her speak, her tone is quiet and about as young as my own natural tone, but the cold strength of will that had always infused her eyes was laced through it anyway.

"I don't need your help to survive. I'm not your disciple. They just grabbed me off the street because I was using a hood to blend it."

Good. Having a disciple would be creepy. I simply nod at her and turn to leap back out of the Pit.

Before I do, I hear her voice again.

"I'll be better than you. I can see them now. The lines in everything. I'll kill every monster in the world, and then we won't need to pray for one monster to kill another."

I slowly turn back around to face her, and watch as she tucks one of the tanto's from earlier into her kimono's sash.

She is still staring directly at my featureless face.

" _ **You want to be better than me? Good for you. But if you think I'm a monster, than don't forget that the last person to "see the lines" was a worse one. Somehow you've gained the power of king Shin."**_

For just a moment I see horror flit across her face, before she schools it back into a scowl, and continues staring at my concealed face.

" _ **He was a monster because he killed even when he didn't need to. He was a monster because he acted like one."**_

Her eyes narrow as she continues staring at me.

" _ **I hated him more than anyone else… and you bear his eyes…"**_

Her hand dropped back to her sash, and lightly gripped the handle of her tanto.

…

" _ **Tonight, I will let you go, because your actions have not yet proved you a monster… If that ever changes, I will hunt you to the ends of the earth and send you to meet your predecessor."**_

With that I turned and leapt out of the pit, and into the fires around us without a second glance. She has Shin's power, she won't be killed by a simple fire.

…

Instead of making my way back into the vents, I decided to walk back out the front door.

I find a flight of stairs, and begin my climb back up to the ground level.

Strangely enough, it seems to have a trail of blood leading all the way up… Maybe I missed someone.

It takes a few minutes of walking, and the stairwell is gradually filling with smoke from the Pit, rising up to the surface.

Finally I emerge into what seems to be a back room.

I walk out and find myself surrounded by tourist guides that were probably made in the mid-90s.

My nose picks up the smell of blood. I glance over to my right, and see a man with a bleeding leg trying to drag himself toward the building's exit.

Lazily I will my assimilation tendrils to emerge from my back as I begin walking toward his prone form.

I looks over his shoulder and lets out a scream.

"Ahhhhg! No. Stay away from me! Don't eat me! Don't drag my soul to Hell!"

… Great, another weirdo.

I'm about to let my tendrils lance forward when his flailing knocks over a shelf of pamphlets, that knocks against my leg before one of them drifts through the air in front of my face.

It's a labled map of the Pacific Ocean and the landmasses that border it.

One particular word catches my eye on upper right portion of the map.

The United States.

"… _ **arrangements made to transport a CEO to the United States, in a private jet… …fully fueled private plane waiting for me to fly us and our new gold to Portland…"**_

I freeze. Portland, the United States! That's where we were going. That's where they'll be! How do I get there?! I can't fly a plane…

I snap my face back to the man who froze in fear the moment the shelf was knocked into me. Time for some diplomacy.

" _ **You. Draw me a path to get to the Portland in the United States on this map and I will let you live."**_

I shove the map in his face, and he takes it with trembling hands as tears leak from eyes and mucus drips from his nose.

His shaking hands pull a pen out of his shirt pocket, and he glances up at me again before, drawing a shaky line out from Tokyo, up into _Korea_ , and finally traces its way up through _Manchuria_ , and _Eastern Siberia_. It then crosses over _the Bering Straits_ into _Alaska_. Then it traces its way down the coast into the upper left corner of the _lower 48_ of the United State.

His trembling hands then slowly extended the map back to me, as her clenched his eyes shut and turned aside his head with a whimper.

I took the map back out of his hand and memorized it, before dropping it on the ground and walking over the man's quivering form.

…

I know where I'm going, and how to get there. I'll have to swim a few times, but I can make it.

I walk out into the moon light, and jump back onto the roof to retrieve my clothes.

This was a good day.

I'm not even all that bothered that the only people I can negotiate with are crazy.

…

I shift my armor back into my body, and pull my clothes back on.

It's going to be a long journey…

I might as well start walking tonight.


	22. (Interlude) Steel Demons

Centipedes Eat Worms

(Kim's POV)

It's New Year's Eve, and in a just a few minutes two thousand nine will begin. I don't really feel up to celebrating.

Nagase and I are finally free. We have enough money to live easy for the rest of our lives.

I could never settle for that under normal circumstances. As things are… We could never settle for that.

…

It's been a month since my… minion was killed.

I wasn't conscious to see it, but that just makes it worse.

It was my half-baked plan that got him killed…

My insufficient preparations that failed to kill Shin when we had the chance…

No.

I'm not going to wallow in guilt.

The guilt has been haunting the back of my mind ever since I woke up, and saw the look on Nagase's face.

Crushed…

I knew immediately what had happened.

We lost another family member.

My first reflex was to deny what happened, but I stopped myself before any questions or demands could leave my mouth.

Nagase couldn't take that now. I needed to be strong for my sister.

I could let out my own feelings later…

I'm not afraid to admit that I cried after I finally had some time to myself.

I cried until my tears had run out. And then I acted.

 **Shin.**

That smug. Disgusting. Soulless. **Animal.**

Up until a month ago, I had focused what little resentment I allowed myself to indulge in toward Jason. I needed to stay focused. Had to dedicate myself to escape so I could save my sister.

But now, I've had a month to do and feel whatever I want to. I'll put aside my sorrow for now and focus on my hate.

 **Shin,** is the one who sent us to Jason. The one who allowed Jason to have his way with father.

Jason was the one who carried out the actions, but he was doing **Shin's** will.

And now Shin has taken away another member of **my** family.

We only had Shiro for a little over a day, but he proved himself every bit as much a part of the family as I am by… killing himself to slow Shin down and make sure we escaped.

…

No. this isn't the time for guilt. This isn't the time for celebration.

First, revenge.

I wasn't ready to fight Shin last time. No one really understood what he could do, but I understand now.

My suit, Nagase's suit, the information relayed by Shiro's Pathfinder. I have all the information about how Shin's powers work I could ever need.

I'm almost done.

Nagase and I have burned through most of the gold now, but it will be worth it when I see that wretch scream for mercy.

It's New Year's Eve, and I have better things to than party. More important things to do than mourn.

An alarm goes off on the, now far superior, hacking tool I have built into my new mechanical left arm.

It's the New Year.

Now isn't the time to party or mourn, but perhaps I have time to make a resolution?

Yes.

"I, Jiha Kim, swear and resolve, on the blood of my murdered family that in one year's time, Shin will be dead, with nothing left of him to be buried."

I'm snapped out of the fog in my mind by a hand coming to rest on my right shoulder.

"I, Jiha Nagase, swear and resolve, on the blood of my murdered family that in one year's time, Shin will be dead, with nothing left of him to be buried."

Oh yeah, sometimes it's hard to remember I'm not alone in this. Nagase has been working every bit as hard as I am.

We've cooperated with each other at every turn. Producing greater works that integrate the full extent of both our potentials.

Shin won't even recognize us when we come for him.

He might think that we were just a couple of… "Cattle" for his own use…

But the next time we meet he won't see pray, livestock, or tools.

He won't see his lost possessions.

He'll be facing Steel Demons, rising up from Hell for his blood.

…

(Nagase's POV)

I can see the determination in Sister's eyes as she gets back to putting the finishing touch on another failsafe.

She's been like that ever since she woke up.

It's just like it was when we were enslaved above Jason's work area.

She has suppressed all her feelings and desires so she can focus on only one purpose.

Killing Shin.

…

Even now the memories of Shiro's death are haunting me.

I shouldn't have tried to take him with us.

It's my fault he died.

If it wasn't for us he could have… laid low, or escaped Tokyo by himself, or… just lived for at least one more day!

… But I had to be selfish. I wanted to save him so we could somehow make it up to everyone who had been sacrificed for our escape.

… I wanted to bring him with us so I could feel like our family hadn't been torn into pieces. So we could patch the holes.

… It didn't take long before I wanted to bring him into the family because he needed us.

There was something horribly wrong with Shiro. A lot of things really.

I'm not sure what happened to him and I don't want to know.

… I already know who's responsible.

Someone else is the reason Shiro was so… twisted.

It's not just my fault that the boy I had taken as my little brother died…

I was a fool for thinking that I could have more than I already had.

I was a fool for trying to escape from my guilt, but Shiro didn't die just because of me.

 **Shin.**

 **I'll kill him.**

That thing has screwed around with my family for the last time.

Kim and I have dedicated ourselves to our revenge for the past month.

We don't have anything left from Shiro to burry or burn, but at least we can have the satisfaction of sending his killer to Hell.

I'll never stop feeling guilt for my failure to prevent my little brother's death, but I can put that guilt to work.

…

I've finished my preparations, and Kim will be finished hers in just another hour.

We could probably spend years preparing better and better ways of killing Shin, but we already have enough information.

We've seen his limitations, and his abilities.

If we didn't limit ourselves then we never would have finished our preparations…

Not that we really could have stood to wait another week for our revenge as it is.

…

Come sunrise tomorrow I will be flying us, in… one of my new innovations, back to Tokyo.

We'll hunt down Shin like the **rabid animal** he is and put him down.

For now…

I have some time to rest.

For the first time in a month, I decide to take a moment to do something other than maintain basic homeostasis, work, or mourn.

I turn on the improved hacking tool Kim made me and decide to look over some of the old message boards in Japan.

…

…

…

 **Aogiri Tree Exterminated by the Centipede, Nearly One Month Later What's Changed?**

 **King Shin Missing for an Entire Month, Presumed Dead, Did the Omukade Really Kill Him?**

 **The Omukade. Is He Really a Spirit of Justice Sent by the Gods**

 **Former Member of Aogiri Tree Claims that the Centipede is Journying to Portland in America Truth or Wild Myth?**

 **Pictures/Videos/Sightings of the Centipede in Action**

…

…

…

" _ **KIM! GET PACKED AND DUMP THE REST OF YOUR STUPID PROJECT IN THE SHIP! WE'VE GOT AN ERRANT FAMILY MEMBER TO HUNT DOWN!"**_


	23. The Young Man and the Sea

Centipedes Eat Worms 2.6

It has taken me two nights worth of running to reach this place.

I've done all my running while enhanced by my bio armor at night.

I've made certain up to this point to memorize the positions of the stars. To gain an understanding of how my positions changes in relation to them.

I've counted every stride and I finally feel like I understand well enough to navigate by starlight.

Thankfully, the map I had memorized had a scale marker. If it hadn't there would be no way for me to know where I'm going.

Its night time now and the moon is full.

The ocean crashed against the cliff I'm standing over.

The sky is clear, I can easily keep my path strait by looking at the stars…

No more hesitation.

I make a running start and leap.

I'm sailing through the air and there is only ocean underneath me.

I wonder what swimming feels like.

I land in the ocean.

It's cold!

And it tastes like salt!

…

And… I have no idea how to swim.

I've inhaled a lot of water and my lungs ache.

I'm sinking and it's hard to see down here.

…

Maybe I should have approached this differently…

…

My mind is getting dull, I haven't breathed in a while.

I feel movement pass close to my leg…

Something just bumped me.

I can't see it.

I can't smell or hear properly underwater.

I don't understand.

…

It just bumped me again.

It's big. Far bigger than I am.

I'm still sinking.

…

I can feel whatever that thing is coming back.

Pain!

It just bit my leg!

I think it's trying to sever it!

My body shifts before I've even given it a second thought.

Tendrils lance out through my clothes and dig their way into the creature.

It struggles and tears a large chunk of flesh out of my leg.

The water if filled with my blood now, and through my blood I can see whatever it is.

Seven meters long. Strange rough armor. Fins? A fish? Since when are fish this large!?

It's trying to escape my tendrils.

I'm not going to let it get away.

Before the giant fish can gain momentum and swim away, four centipede tendrils have erupted from my body and speared their way into its flesh.

It's still trying to swim away now, but my tendrils are holding fast and rapidly eating their way into its hide.

Finally I'm right on top of it.

I touch its back and reach out to its flesh with my biomancy.

 _Tiger Shark_

I could use this.

I know exactly how to make the kill now, and there's no reason to draw it out.

My tendrils move directly for the shark's vitals and in a moment it stops moving and the signs of life fade from its body.

I will for my tendrils to shift again from their positions embedded in its flesh, and they respond, shifting into my array of feeding tendrils.

I consume its flesh and gain a full understanding.

My tendrils retract back into my body.

I haven't breathed in a while, but just getting into a combat situation like that had caused me to reflexively fuel myself using biomass. I'm not in combat anymore.

I will my body to change, and biomass leaks out of my body through the holes I already punctured in my coat when I killed and consumed the shark.

New armor took shape over my form, and my arms and legs adapted to fit into a form more like the fish I had just killed and understood.

I formed a new organ in my esophagus and pumped the water back out of my lungs while refilling them with oxygen filtered out of the water using other new organs I had based off the sharks… _gills_.

I covered my new outer flesh with scales like those I had seen on the shark and started to swim…

…

After going in circles for a few minutes I concluded that I might have gotten something wrong.

…

At least I can breathe now.

…

It took me about ten minutes to figure exactly how the shark had gone about swimming.

Finally I swam back up closer to the surface and examined the star with new pseudo-eyes I grew on my back.

I had drifted while I was… learning to swim.

I can still make it… But I need to get in view of the shore soon. I won't be able to rely on star light much longer.

…

I've been swimming with all the speed of a full grown tiger shark.

No, I'm swimming faster than that, and a tiger Shark could never maintain the same endurance I have kept during this swim.

A tiger shark couldn't hope to swim this fast for this long.

…

I've drastically overestimated how fast a tiger shark can swim.

I've been swimming for the past twelve hours, and I can only just see the shore on the horizon.

The sun has risen, and by the time I arrive it will be noon.

What's that?

I sense another presence making its way toward me.

It's mostly above water…

What is it?

It's… a boat?

It seems to be moving quickly… Toward me…

What could they want?

…

Pain.

Something long and sharp has just pierced the outer flesh I'm using to swim and protect myself from the water.

I can feel a pull.

It's dragging me toward the boat.

I could just shift the flesh the barbed spear _harpoon_ has anchored into out of the way. Yes… I probably should…

I should probably just get away from this harpoon and just keep swimming.

For hours.

Until whatever the next wonderful encounter I get to experience in the ocean occurs…

Or…

My flesh shifts and all at once, rather than being speared by the harpoon, I am grasping it with my black clawed hands.

The resistance that my swimming body once provided the wench the harpoon is attached to vanishes in an instant.

I'm pulled out of the water rapidly, and I turn the pull into a jump, before I finally land on the boats deck.

It really is a nice boat. Fancy floor. Fresh paint. That makes a nice boat right?

Whatever.

Time for diplomacy.

…

Which hasn't worked so far…

Except with crazy people…

Maybe if I change it up a bit…

I'll try diplomacy without the threats. I'm not sure what not providing the other party with incentive to negotiate will do for my diplomacy skills, but could it really get any worse.

I turn to a well-dressed young man who seems to be staring at me.

" _ **I will ride in your boat until we arrive back at the Korean shore. You will not be harmed."**_

The young man scoffed. Then he spat on the deck and started shouting at me before turning aside to speak to one of the sailors on deck.

"Nǐ zěnme gǎn ràng nǐ de shétou bù wénmíng rìběn nǐ liúlàng de xūqiú! Nándào nǐ bù zhīdào wǒ shì shuí? Wǒ bà shì lǐgāng! Shuǐshǒu! Pāo chū zhège shǎguāle bǎn!"

What?

The sailors look horrified by whatever the young man said and they lower their heads and speak to the well-dressed man in quiet tones.

"Qǐng yuánliàng wǒ de wú lǐ niánqīng de xiānshēng, dàn yěxǔ... Zhè jiāng shì zuì hǎo bùyào chángshì zhèyàng de shìqíng yǒu yīgè wèizhī parahuman?"

… I have no idea what's going on, but I have a feeling that removing the threats has not improved my diplomacy results.

Oh, what's this?

The young man is screaming at the sailors again.

"Nǐ gǎn zhìwèn wǒ! Wǒ bà shì lǐgāng! Yáng pān jīwén de yùsuàn jiāndū wěiyuánhuì de yuǎndōng hánguó fèn gōngsī fù shūjì! Àn rìběn lèsè huíle wǒ de chuán huò wǒ huì ràng nǐ chóngxīn fēnpèi jǐ ménggǔ lǐngyù de mǎjiù!"

The sailors look terrified, but they finally tense and grasp any weapons they can find and begin walking toward me with resigned expression on their faces.

…

I knew attempting diplomacy without threats was a stupid idea.

Still…

I think I can still resolve this issue.

In the blink of an eye I have darted past the sailors before stopping next to the well-dressed young man.

A centipede tendril erupts from my back and hacks both his legs off at the knee, while I clasp one of my clawed hands over his head, effortlessly holding up his now unsupported body, while channelling my biomancy to the stubs of the legs he has left in order to quickly seal the wounds and stop the bleeding.

The fool I was holding up was screaming continuously, and the other men on deck were turning back around to see where I had disappeared to as quickly as they could.

I had to speak loudly to be heard over my hostage's screams.

" _ **I have no idea what this fool said to you and I don't care. My former proposition has obviously been rejected so here is a new one. Take me to the Korean shore immediately, and I will consider reattaching this wretch's legs. If you hurry, they might not even be infected to badly.**_

The fool that I'm holding up screams out hoarse words to the sailors again.

"Zhèyàng zuò, tā shuō shénme! Zhǐshì ràng tā ráo wǒ yī mìng!"

The sailors immediately snap out of their shock and begin setting the powered boat's course for the nearest portion of the horizon.

I drop my fool of a hostage on the ground and lean down against the edge of the ship's railing, while wiling my centipede tendril to wrap around the fool's quivering form.

The sailors are all working quickly.

They don't seem all that bothered by what's happened.

Actually… They some of them seem happy.

…

We had made it close enough to shore for me to easily make the swim even if I were a normal human within just three hours.

I drag my now unconscious hostage back over to the dried puddle of blood holding his severed legs, and move them both in place before pushing my biomass into them and the stubs where they had been detached.

In a moment the fool's legs are whole again, although he is still unconscious.

I make a running jump for the water, and leap, still in my armor.

Before I make it off the boat, I actually hear a few of the men shouting to me in Japanese.

"Thank you!"

… What?

Whatever.

I know how to swim well enough that with just a few minutes of transformed swimming, I have reached the beach.

I walkout out of the water, and look back out to the boat that is now motoring away back toward the open water.

…

I can see people in the boat still waving at me.

…

I have learned a few things from this experience.

First, swimming in the Ocean while wearing clothes with no experience is a bad idea.

Second, the Ocean is full of things that want to eat me.

Third, the humans on the ocean want to kill me.

Forth, diplomacy doesn't work on ocean humans either.

…

Fifth.

I hate the Ocean.

* * *

Author's note:

I've seen a few questions in the reviews but it seems weird to PM people just to answer them.

I actually post every chapter of this story on Space Battles first, and I basically answer any questions that I don't think will be to severely spoiling there.

If anyone wants to ask anything I put teh link on my profile page.

Thanks for reading!


	24. First Impressions

Centipedes Eat Worms 2.7

By the time I had made it to the Korean Peninsula, it was already noon.

There was no cover this close to the shore, and sleeping where several people had already seen me go to shore would have been idiotic.

So I started jogging.

While I jogged I allowed my armor to recede back into my flesh after ducking out of sight of the shore.

Going at my full potential speed during the day would definitely have gotten me watched closely at best.

I needed to go unnoticed, but I also needed to put as much distance between myself and the shore line as possible.

I've been jogging through snow covered hills for five hours, and I've managed to keep away from roads so far.

…

What is that?

In the distance I can now see a large patch of dead hibernating trees

I can't call it a forest. It's too symmetrical.

What I can call it is cover, until nightfall.

I quickly make my way into the forest, and now I finally feel like I'm not constantly exposed again.

Ever since I arrived on this land, the hair on the back of my neck has been standing up.

I'm being watched. I don't know how and I don't know who is watching, but someone is tracking me already.

At least under tree cover the feeling is dulled somewhat…

I'm making my way through the ornate rows of trees when I finally reach a wall of coniferous foliage. _Hedge_

…

I'm hungry.

I may have absorbed the entirety of a tiger shark recently, but that doesn't change the fact that my digestive system is empty, and the temporary boost has worn out.

Somehow I doubt there will be much food available outdoors in the middle of winter.

I push my way through the hedge, and I'm greeted by the sight of a mansion.

…

I could break into it and find myself something to eat… but I already feel like I've been noticed somehow, and I don't want to get more attention. I might be slowed down.

I can see a side door from my position within the hedge.

!

Someone is opening the door.

I quickly slip back into the hedges cover, and peak out through the branches.

I can hear someone saying something.

"Xuě, qù piánpián ránhòu ná chūlái guā yòu hòuwèi."

… Someone just let a large, fluffy, white dog out the door, before shutting it again.

The dog is bounding through the snow… Well. It's more like its waddling with vigor. Not all of that dog's mass is fur…

The dog suddenly stops, and raises its nose.

It's sniffing for something…

It's moving closer to me.

I slow my breath and watch the dog continue waddling its way toward me.

Finally it's directly in front of my hiding place.

I could reach out and touch it.

Did they send this dog out to find me? Are the people who have been watching me within that house?

What do they want?

The dog turns to its side…

His side… and begins peeing directly toward me.

…

No one is watching him.

I am very hungry…

…

He's trying to urinate on me…

…

Decision made.

My right hand shifts into a razor blade, and before the dog even knows I'm moving I've speared its heart.

…

This isn't very appetising… But somehow I'm certain I've eaten worse.

I quickly drag the dog's body further into the hedge, and move back into the snowy, decorative forest until I find a dip in the landscaping I can use to take cover from prying eyes.

I begin eating my meal.

I feel like it's been a while since I last ate raw meat like this, but my body still remembers how.

This dog is really fatty.

Oh well, it feels good to get something into my stomach again.

Now that I'm not famished, and the dog isn't trying to urinate on me, I notice his collar.

It's made of gold, and there's something carved into the collar.

"雪，李刚家族的财产。"

… This writing seems similar to Kanji…

The dog was property… of the Gang household…

Didn't that fool on the boat shout something about… "Li Gang".

…

Did I just eat that guy's dog?

…

Suddenly my meal becomes significantly more satisfying.

…

The hair on the back of my neck stands up.

Someone is here.

…

I can't see anyone nearby, and I can't hear anyone either. My nose twitches, and I can't pick up a scent…

There is little cover around me…

…

Nothing but snow covered ground and a few leafless trees.

…

I stop my quiet searching and take a deep slow breath.

…

I grasp the remnants of the dog's carcass and hurl it toward the space that I'm certain the disturbance in the air is coming from.

There is still neither sight nor sound, but the disturbance in the air grows more defined.

There is someone there!

In an instant my biomass has erupted out of my skin and begun to shift into my armor.

I'll put whoever this is down before…

"Wait wait wait! There's no need to do anything rash!"

The nearly undetectable figure has revealed himself.

Four centipedes erupt from the back of my now fully formed armor anyway.

In an instant each of them is pointed toward the costumed figure. Only then do I respond.

" _ **Explain.**_ "

The man simply raises his empty hands and slowly lifts off his mask before staring unflinchingly at my helmet and smiling.

"Of course, of course, there's nothing to be weary of here. You will want to listen to what I have to say."

… Something feels weird.

I don't interrupt him, and his smile widens a little bit with that before he continues on, still in perfect Japanese.

"My name is Rat. I work for an organization called the Yangban. We help people with special gifts, like yourself find their way in life, and I would like to help you."

Every one of his facial cues, his posture, his hand positions, and the tones he used during what he said, conveys absolute certainty that what he is saying is true.

…

Yet for some reason, I still feel like something is wrong here.

" _ **I don't need your help. I have already discovered my purpose, and I already know how to achieve it. Be gone from m…"**_

He interrupted me with a look of concerned urgency on his face… Concerned for me…Why?

"Please wait! You'll really want to consider what I'm saying." The feeling of wrongness is intensifying.

"Many young people like yourself get caught up in the first thing they come across their lives. What you don't understand is just how important stability is." The feeling is grating on me now.

"You have a very special gift Centipede."

He stops his monologue and everything I can see smell hear and feel from him indicates that he is utterly sincere.

"You can heal! You have the ability to help so many people. Don't you want to help people? The Yangban will make the best use of that gift, and show you how to help people." The feeling is slightly painful.

"You will be most happy if you join us. You want to join us. Come with me an…"

I can't stand this anymore, I don't know exactly what he's trying to do, but this feeling he's giving me is making me hate him. It feels like my face is being forced closer and closer to an open flame. One of my tendrils flicks and a spike is launched toward his face faster than he can react.

It makes a fine cut along the side of his left cheek before flying past him and embedding itself in a tree trunk.

" _ **Shut up. Leave now, or I will kill you."**_

In that moment two things move across his face. If my senses weren't enhanced, I never would have caught it.

First came shock.

Second was absolute fury.

…

Then both were gone, replaced by a completely sincere, regretful smile. I'm actually uncertain they were really there.

"I'm sorry you feel that way. It's your choice to make, but I think you might regret your decision."

He simply raises his hands and backs away.

Everything about his face, tones and movements tells me he was really just trying to help me.

After a few moments he walks behind a tree, and suddenly he's gone again.

I keep myself utterly focused on him the entire time.

…

Five minutes pass and nothing happens.

…

I guess he really was sincere…

I decide that I've been in this forest for long enough.

I allow one of my centipede tendrils to shift into an assimilation tendril and absorb the rest of the dog's biomass.

…

It feels good to have my stomach filled again. Finally I retract my tendrils back into my armor, before ducking just before I could be speared through the torso by an arrow that seems more like a missile.

Despite my dodge the device still clips through my right shoulder's armor before bursting through several trees and burrowing into the ground.

If I hadn't ducked it would have burrowed through one of my lungs. Not necessarily fatal.

I tensed to leap to the side.

Then the remnants of the arrow detonated.

A shockwave consisting of horrible sounds and lights, along with a powerful wave of electricity washed over me.

I jumped anyway, but I was slowed slightly.

…

Two more arrows stuck me.

They blew off both of my legs at the knee, while I was in mid-air.

It's like my armor doesn't mean anything.

The arrows burry themselves in the ground.

…

In the same moment that my legs were severed, my tendrils burst back out of my back.

…

Rather than my legs, my tendrils fling me forward.

I can still move faster than any man.

…

I'm not healing properly.

…

My tendrils lengthen dramatically, and push me higher into the cover of the white tree branches in an instant.

The two arrow on the ground detonate.

…

It's like they were designed to focus all the waves at me.

I'm not as close to them this time. I'm only slowed slightly.

…

I'm slowed enough.

An arrow bursts through the tree trunk, and burying itself into my right lung and staying there.

My body is being flooded with toxins…

…

My regeneration isn't working properly…

…

I can't move properly…

…

My tendrils lose their solidarity.

I fall back to the snow covered ground.

…

I can't move.

…

My legs aren't healing right. They are still just slowly bleeding stubs.

…

It's hard to think.

…

My senses are dulling.

…

Five. Five men have just appeared around me…

Five have me perfectly surrounded.

Four are pointing strange weapons at me.

They look like they rely on electricity.

…

I miss having people to help me…

I miss not being alone…

…

My tendrils have just been severed by strange arcs of electricity.

…

They aren't growing back.

Someone just slid a needle into my neck.

…

My heart beat is slowing…

I can't get is to stop slowing.

…

I am still awake…

A sixth man.

…

The friendly man.

Rat.

…

His handsome face is arrogant now. There is no other description.

…

"I tried to warm you Centipede. You really should have come with me."

He shakes his head with a regretful smile. Everything says he is completely sincere. Wrongness is back.

…

My armor is starting to lose cohesion.

…

He chuckles.

"Don't worry though Centipede. We'll still help you find your place. That's what we do. That's what I do. You'll understand eventually."

My eyes start to drift closed.

The last thing I see before they fall shut is Rat shaking his head and beginning to walk closer to me…

…


	25. Negotiations

Centipedes Eat Worms 2.8

I can't see.

My limbs are all gone, and they aren't healing.

I can't move.

…

"You know Centipede, it took a great deal of effort to create the toxin that disabled your healing factor."

…

I can feel Rat's breath on my face…

For some reason… He's revealing his secrets…

Why?

 _Monologue, Megalomania_

…

"When we heard rumors of the "Omukade's" healing powers, of course we had to investigate… I don't suppose you remember the tendril you threw out of "King Shin's skyscraper? Really… if you were more careful, we never would have been able to disable you like this."

He pats the side of my face twice.

"Don't worry about it Centipede. We'll take care of things like that for now on. Can't have our absentminded new resource damaging himself."

…

Ah.

So that's how they did it.

…

That explains why the poison in my system was designed for an inferior biology.

All at once every corrupted cell in my body is violently expelled and splattered all over the stealth suits around me, and on Rat crouching form.

A sea of red liquid flows out of my skin after it.

In an instant it has flooded out of my throat, nose, ears and every part of my body, exposed or not.

Less than a second has passed, and the sea lashes out.

Tens of tendrils impale each of the first five men through every vital region, while a red and black mass engulfs Rat's, still crouching, form and draws him near to my own body.

New, inhuman limbs form at the ends of each of my stump limbs from the red pulsating mass that now surround both me and Rat.

The impaled men's bodies shift and move involuntarily to shield me from all sides while their flesh shifts into black carapace and crimson biomass.

…

Finally my armor and limbs are reformed, and I stand slowly, while the biomass surrounding me continues holding Rat in place between myself and the position where the sniper must have been before.

I stand up straight and will the pulsating, red biomass engulfing Rat and I to shift into an intricate arrangement of Black tendrils, red liquid, and sense organs, while I force red biomass down Rat's throat, and up his nose.

Finally I am slightly visible again.

My form is shrouded in a cloud of black and red tendrils and pulsing liquid life. Five major tendrils stretch out and extend to the five black, humanoid chunks of carapace that shift around to shield me from every side.

I reveal Rat's head from the flowing red life surrounding his body, although I keep his eyes and ears covered, and his nose and mouth filled, while I hold him in front of me as a shield.

" _ **Sniper. There is a hill seven kilometers south of here. You will go there immediately, and then you will shoot an arrow straight up in the air and force it to visibly radiate your power for the entirety of its flight."**_

The red biomass surrounding the conscious, but gagged and immobile, form of Rat jerks for an instant.

" _ **You have twenty minutes to complete your task. Every minute over twenty minutes will result in Rat losing a limb. When he runs out of limbs I will take his "silver tongue"."**_

The biomass expelled a foot.

" _ **Your time limit starts now."**_

…

I didn't wait for a response.

I immediately began moving toward the mansion I had seen earlier, while my hostage, the forest of tendrils, and my five shields were forced to follow with me, still holding their formation.

It took three minutes for me to reach the hedge again.

I didn't bother trying to push my way through it. Two dozen tendrils lanced out of the living shroud surrounding me and tore the hedge apart.

I quickly began my rush toward the extra shelter the mansion would provide, keeping Rat's form between me and the Sniper's previous position for the entire process.

…

I barely felt it coming.

There was no sound, and no reflected light to reveal its presence to me. But I was expecting this.

Each of the tendrils in the shroud surrounding me was covered in long, nearly invisible, sensitive hairs. They picked up on the slight disturbance in the air.

A long bullet, electrified like the swords before tore directly through one of my shields and broke past my veil, before it nearly pierced the back of my skull.

My entire body shifted and pulled itself down and the bullet barely passed over the top of my head.

…

Instead it struck the back of the pulsating red biomass that still contained Rat's form.

Then it detonated.

The fluid that had been covering my useless hostage was sprayed all over the snow covered clearing, and Rat's new corpse was nearly propelled through another section of the hedge across the clearing around the mansion.

I had already started sprinting. My tendril shroud had shifted to once again completely mask the position of the main body within.

My shields were useless, instead I shifted them into spike filled missiles, before flipping each of them behind my back, and launching them toward the position that the sniper should be located.

At the same time they were launched, another arrow like the first impacted the ground directly in front of me, in the position they would have occupied if I hadn't shifted my tendrils the way I had.

I leapt over it, and cocooned myself in a layers of tendril and biomass, while myriad new limbs erupted from my new shell and started to rapidly propel me toward the mansion.

The arrow exploded into light, sound, and electricity, and my shell shuddered around me.

I didn't slow down. Every fried or stunned nerve or tendon was immediately replaced by a rapidly finished, partially formed, dormant spare, while the damaged originals was recycled into more biomass.

The spikes I had launched into the forest behind me reached the top of their flight arc, and erupted releasing a cloud of barbed flack over and around the Sniper's previous position.

Finally, my shell reached the wall of the mansion and my tendrils smashed in the door before I completely entered the building.

…

I felt a heartbeat.

Not mine.

…

The biomass I had left inside Rat's throat and respiratory system had been protected from the bullet's detonation. It still hadn't died.

…

Rat's still hadn't died, and they were rapidly moving him out of my range.

I couldn't do much, but I could…

The biomass still within Rat's quickly waking body flowed into one location and clenched just before he was out of range.

I crushed his silver tongue.

…

I continue running further into the house, while looking around.

For some reason I can't sense anyone here. Someone must have let that dog outside.

…

I've finally reached the center of the mansion.

No one is even firing at me anymore…

Why?

They didn't hesitate endanger the life of a valuable comrade… They wouldn't have cared about the life of some random family…

…

The family that I still haven't seen…

…

My shell begins to expand and solidify, and my false limbs are propelling me to the outer wall of the opposite side of the house as quickly as possible.

I can see a wall that should be in the outer edge of the mansion. I'll just break through it.

…

Every light sensitive tissues on my shell and its limbs are blinded, and every sound sensitive tissue is broken. The movement sensitive hairs on my shell are burned off, and the scent sensitive cells die.

Even within the shell, the vibrations destroy my own ear drums.

The explosion launches me within my singed shell through the wall, over the hedge and deep back into the decorative forest.

The limbs I had covered the sphere with snap off, and my shell bounces, rolls and crashes through the trees.

Finally my sphere comes to a stop somewhere among the decorative woods.

I don't need to think about what to do. They're too well prepared and I have no support.

I can't win today.

By the time my sphere has stopped moving, I've already developed an organ in my core body that emulates the effect of the liquid in the human inner ear.

When my shell stops moving, I know what way is down.

Without giving a single indication to the outside world, the bottom of my shell shifts back into my skin and the ground is open to me.

My body transforms.

My neck shortens and thickens as a shell grows over it. My torso becomes cylindrical and compact. I form two more arms as my legs merge at the waste into a tail covered in centrifugal hooks.

My entire body is covered in a new flexible exoskeleton.

My arms shift forward and I begin to tunnel into the ground.

Before I completely lost contact with the shell, I will more biomass into the shell behind me and shape it.

I leave behind a false corpse in my image. Its bones are shattered and its skull is crushed.

The shell shifts back into existence behind me, leaving no indication that anything has changed.

…

I'll escape for now.

I have more important things to do, than try to find undetectable snipers, and if they catch me before night fall, I won't be able to escape them like this again.

…

I wasn't careful enough but now I know.

I'll be hunted during my journey.

That doesn't matter.

I have my goal and nothing is going to slow me down.

I continue tunneling through the forest of roots until I finally come below their reach.

I turn in the direction I remember is north, and begin to tunnel horizontally. The tunnels continue to collapse behind me.

Leaving no indication of my path.

…

They probably know what my path is… that old man who drew my map must have told them…

If I ever see him again, I'll finish what I started.

…

I haven't breathed for a while.

I can't hold my breath for much longer.

The sun won't set for another hour. When that happens I will be able to surface, and blend into the night.

For now… I need to make as much ground as possible. My decoy might work, but there is no assurance.

…

I won't waste my time hunting these people, but the next time I meet them, I won't be caught off guard.

…

If they get in my way they'll meet the same fate as everyone who came before them.


	26. Pilgrimage

Centipedes Eat Worms 2.9

I surfaced after tunnelling for three hours.

I finally emerged through the dirt and felt the snow on my carapace.

Before I emerged from the ground I formed a new tendril on top of my head carapace.

It rose up through the snow until it was barely above its surface.

The tendril was covered in white and grey pigment.

Slowly it rose into the air, sprouting hyper sensitive hairs, light sensitive tissues, and something new.

While I was in the ocean I had consumed a shark.

At first I didn't give its biology much thought, but three hours underground provides ample time for planning.

The shark had sensed me through my body's electric field.

I don't know how much those stealth suits can block out, but I'm not going to abandon any possible means of detection.

The tendril completed its rise, a meter above the snow, bearing every means of detection I can conceive.

…

Nothing.

No one around me is moving.

I stretch my awareness further, and I begin to detect life.

Insects lying dormant in the earth.

Small mammals hibernating.

…

Humans…

Sleeping in and tightly pack area… a town.

It's quite far from here.

…

Nothing is moving.

…

It's possible that I still can't sense them, but… I can't let my doubts slow me down.

Finally, I'm satisfied that I can move safely for now.

…

My body shifts again, but not into my true form.

The four arms I had used to burrow through the ground fuse into two limbs. Long powerful legs with wide clawed feet.

The torso is stretching and thickening, and my tail is growing long and narrow.

Four more legs form along my torso and a new outer shell sprouts innumerable hyper sensitive hairs.

Periodic bumps develop beneath the outer layer of movement detecting hair all along my new spine.

Each of them shifts into a new center of observation, deploying the Tiger Shark's _electroreception_ , along with arrays light, vibration, and chemical sensitive organs.

Finally my new body is formed.

Three meters long. Six limbs formed for speed.

Bio-armor covered head.

A long balancing tail, with its own bushy sensing array, prepared to wipe away my foot prints behind me.

All covered in a white and grey camouflage pattern of hyper sensitive hairs.

…

Now to make the most of the night.

The light sensitive tissues on my new back take in the positions of the stars above me, and I adjust my orientation slightly, before leaning into a semblance of a crouch.

Then I run.

…

Before, I had intended to avoid wasting biomass when I arrived on the mainland.

That plan is discarded.

I have nearly thirty tons of biomass stored, and I'll draw on as much of it for energy as I need to.

…

At first my run is somewhat clumsy, but with every mistake, I gain a better understanding of how to optimise my running.

Small changes are made to my limbs, ligaments, muscles, and my skeleton midstride, as I perfect this new design.

I have more than twelve hours of relative darkness ahead of me and I will take advantage of every moment.

…

I've been running for nearly four hours now, and I still don't seem to have picked up any followers.

The feeling of being watched has yet to return.

…

Huh?

I slow down for a moment, as I finally detect a change in the landscape before me.

A long stipe of forest is in front of me… No, not just trees, this is untamed land.

…

I can't sense any large life forms within this forest…

Why?

…

I guess I'll have to find out, I can't see a way around it.

I break back into a run, and finally enter the unfenced, but untouched forest.

Why would humans just leave these trees hee…

I lance the claws of each of my feet through the snow and into the ground, nearly snapping off my limbs in the process of stopping almost instantly.

I sense something, buried in the ground in front of me using my electroreception.

No… Not just something.

I push my sense forward, and detect thousands… no, tens of thousands of strange metal objects buried shallowly within the forest…

 _Landmines_

Land mines?

 _Explosives activated by pressure_

I stop for a moment.

Explosions could probably be endured, but I would certainly waste a great deal of biomass in the process, and I would definitely draw attention to myself…

My body transforms again.

My large form contracts, the limbs that had been designed for quick movement over the snow shift into a new configuration, designed for grip.

Thin hair-like spins sprout on the gripping surface of the six new hands I create, as my tail thins, and changes into a new form meant to wrap around tree limbs.

The mines are in the earth, but the trees in this area are untouched.

Except by me.

I leap onto a strong looking branch on one of the trees and get by bearings.

Another leap to a sturdy looking branch… and I almost fall off…

The three limbs closest to the tree trunk lance out, and their claws sink deeply into the bark and stop my fall.

… I'll know better for the next jump.

And so my journey over the trees continues.

Every failure leads to improvements in my form and in my technique, and with every jump my speed grows.

Soon I'm racing through the trees, and nearing the border of the minefield.

Finally I reach a tree near the edge of the forest, and leap from its branches, back toward the relatively clear snow.

In mid-air my body shifts again, back into the running form I had developed before reaching the minefield.

I don't bother to slow down.

I wasted nearly half an hour crossing that minefield, and now I need to regain the lost time.

No one is following me yet, and soon, I'm practically gliding over the snowy ground again.

I pushed myself to the limits of my out of combat speed, and by the time, I sense the sun beginning to peek up in the distant horizon, I have covered more than a thousand kilometers.

Many times during my run, I felt my body parts give out from the strain, only for them to be consumed and reformed using extra biomass.

My journey was not without a cost.

Operating like this for so long has cost me nearly a ton of biomass for energy and repairs, but I have made good ground tonight, and I haven't been attacked again.

Soon the stars will be hidden, and I won't be able to use them for guidance.

I also, can't accept the possibility that I will be spotted and reported to the "Yang Ban". I wasted far too much time the last time I encountered them… and I probably got lucky when I escaped their ambush.

I've been conscientious of not being noticed for my entire run. My senses have been extended to allow me to detect and avoid humans. Especially avoiding dense settlements.

To accommodate this need, I've made most of my run over a mountain range that seems to run the length of this peninsula.

It was fairly level for most of my journey, but toward the end of the night the mountain range seemed to rapidly increase in height.

That was fine with me.

If I have the high ground then it will be significantly more difficult to ambush me again.

With that in mind, I made my ascent up the new mountain.

I had to shift my body, to adjust to the treacherous slopes more than once, but it will be worth it, to gain a relatively safe hiding place for the night.

Finally I reach the summit and I see something amazing.

A lake.

There's a… fresh water lake on top of this mountain…

It's beautiful.

There are a few people here… but this is a mountain… It is sparely populated and remote enough to make a good place to rest for the evening.

I make my way closer to the lake, and shift my body again when I am about thirty meters from its shore.

I'm in my burrowing form again, and within moments I have buried myself deep below the earth…

My hole begins to flood, and I realize this was a bad idea.

After burrowing an indeterminate distance away from the lake, I finally find a location that doesn't begin to dampen.

Good enough.

Finally I create a tendril on the top of the shell covering my head, and have it drill its way to the surface.

It gently peaks out of the snow, and extends its sense arrays around itself, while several small holes open around it, and begin transferring gasses between my lungs and the atmosphere.

The air is thin here, but I've already learned how to adapt to it.

Now, with my senses aware, and my body hidden, protected, and still being supplied with air, I finally allow myself to rest.

I'll wake up when the sun fades, and I can rely on the stars again.

 ***Crash***

The world tremors and I snap awake again.

The world above me comes into sharp focus through the senses my tendril is providing and I see that the mountain is burning.

Molten rock is raining onto the snow around me, and rapidly melting into the snow before being cooled into new rock.

On the other side of this end of the lake, I can see a large crater, has been blown through the snow, into earth around it.

Within that crater I can see three figures.

They're covered in soot, and flecks of molten rock.

…

It seems like two of their forms have been damaged somewhat but they are rapidly recovering.

On the left is…

I've never seen anything like it before.

Its torso alone must be at least three meter's tall.

Four scythe-like blades protrude from its four main limbs, and thin tendrils are writing in the air along its back.

Its head rises from a thick neck, and it seems small, and flat in comparison to the rest of its body…

There are four short tendrils extending from the front of the face.

They're twitching around in a way that seems familiar to me.

It's using them to sense the world.

Below its torso is an incredibly long, thick segmented tail.

With the tail included it's probably ten meters long.

The one in the center, is glowing and radiating heat.

It is five meters high, and three meters wide at the shoulder.

The torso is disproportionately large, and it seems like it's filled with white hot magma.

The chest is open from the top of the shoulders around its head all the way down into a slither down toward the groin, exposing a white hot molten core.

I can see veins of the molten heat extending from the core into its barbed clawed limbs, and long spines rise up around the molten core around its head from its shoulders.

It doesn't seem to have a head, rather a great horned mask is protruding from the molten rock core within the ring of spines.

Two glowing red eye holes are the only indication of any sort of senses.

Finally, I observe the final figure.

Four meters tall with six legs.

It seems to be completely covered with a thick carapace

Huge three pointed forelimbs extend from the front of its long thorax.

Behind them are two more limbs, thinner, but the look as sharp as anything I've ever made.

The back-most set is somewhere in-between the size of the first two sets.

From the front of the thorax, a torso of sorts rises up.

Two more thick limbs decent from the armored curves of its shoulders. They seem like… _mantis claws_

From the back of its torso there are two pairs of fly like wings are beating lightly casting off drops of molten rock like water.

Its head… seems normal compared to the other two.

Its mouth seems human enough… although it seems to open rather wide,

Two eyes, that appear… hard, and completely white protrude from the front of its face, and finally two…

Horns? Antenna?

… I'm not sure. They seem very similar to a moth's antenna but they are immobile and completely made of carapace.

…

My tendril finishes taking in their massive forms, and they all tense, preparing to combat whatever it was the destroyed the ground around them.

After seeing them I can only feel a single emotion…

 **Jealousy.**

They look AWESOME!


	27. Chronicles of a Disgruntled Teleporter

Centipedes Eat Worms

 **Date: Some indeterminate point in the past.**

 **Location: Undisclosed**

Doorman (POV)

My name is not Doorman, but that is my cape name. No one cares enough to remember my real name.

I've been working with Cauldron for a little while now, we've just gotten started recently.

At first, it was great! I mean who doesn't want to save the human race? However, over time it gotten a little…

"Door me!"

… Grating…

No one ever says: "Please send me where I just alluded I wanted to go while talking to someone else like you weren't there Doorman."

No one says: "Thank you Doorman".

Certainly no one ever asks: "How was your weekend Doorman?"

I'm sick of it, but maybe it's for the best no one asked that last one this Monday… because my weekend was great!

… and I might still be feeling a little bit "great" because of it…

An old college friend got into contact with me on Saturday morning.

He was the kind of guy who never got it together after college, never really grew up.

I needed a break from being taken for granted, so, when he said we should hang out sometime, I told him I was already in town, and a moment later that was true. We decided to hangout for the weekend.

We did some crazy stuff, reminisced over old times, and always had a good joint within reach.

I **might** be a liiiittle bit high still…

Not that anyone would even notice…

They don't even bother to look at me when they speak.

When I punch in at HQ all Dr. Mother says, (seriously she isn't even looking at me!), is: "Doorman retrieve three new test subjects. I don't care where they're from, just make sure it isn't Earth Bet.

Pefff…

Whatever…

I just pick a world at random, and slip through a door.

I'm greeted by the sight of the most intimidating woman I've ever seen. (I work with Contessa and Alexandria!), She's wearing a badly stained military uniform, soaked with blood. I don't see a single wound on her. Her hair is pulled back in a lose braid and it's… purple?

Oh no, not another one of these worlds!

We're in the middle of a village, and everything is on fire.

We are surrounded by bodies, and I think I know who's responsible for putting most of them here.

She looks up at me, and her eyes are cold, I have no doubt that the first thing that came to mind when she saw me was how to take my life.

At the same time, I sense an emptiness about her. It's like she just lost everything that had been driving her forward in life.

Heh, weed sure makes me empathetic…

Someone like this could do anything.

I hesitate for a moment, but really, I know I don't have a choice. I open a door back to base, right around where I know Alexandria will be talking with Hero…

Heh… this will teach them to ignore me.

I open another door underneath the slumped from of the killing machine in front of me and drop her directly over the table in the break room.

They're the combat specialist capes. They can figure out how to neutralize her…

Hmm I'm getting kind of hungry.

*huffff*

Well I guess I'll just get the rest of these out of the way so I can go to Denny's or something…

I open up another door at random, and I find myself in some sort of tent city.

Huh? A Medieval European dimension if I'm reading the style here right… (A history degree is not useless!)

I decide to continue walking through the camp until I see a good candidate.

It seems like everyone is inside their tents at the moment, so no one notices me.

I take a quick peak inside one tent, and see a hideously mutilated looking man in an impractically large, round helmet.

He looks emaciated, and… oooo harsh… looks like someone cut the tendons in his hands.

Man I'm hungry…

He doesn't notice me, he seems to be in his own little world.

Finally, when I'm about to leave, he pulls out at strange looking red… egg? He's just staring at it now…

It… it looks like it has eyes… and a mouth carved into it somehow…

*grumble*

Whatever, I walk up to him and snatch the egg out of his hand.

"Tough break, but I'm a villain and now this egg is mine."

"Sucks to suck"

And with that I walk away, while he futily tries to scream at me with his weakened body, and apparently without a tongue.

I pop the egg in my mouth, and continue looking for a candidate who doesn't look quite so gnarly.

Hmm… this thing is pretty bland, kind of tastes like a potato.

Whaaatever.

I hear someone coming, and duck between a couple of tents. I see an enormous, young looking man with short black hair walking up to a tent across from where I'm hiding.

That's what I'm talking about, a perfect candidate.

He seems to be wearing just a few lose fitting pieces of clothing. The man hesitates outside the tent he walked up to for a moment, and casts a guilty glance toward the tent that held the emaciated helmet guy.

Then He drops his outer robe outside the tent and begins to duck in, clothed in nothing but a loin cloth and an undershirt.

Perfect.

I open up a door back to HQ right in front of him when he begins to duck into the door.

I've already gotten a good start, and before he can pull back I've kicked him in the backside, and sending him tumbling through the doorway.

I've positioned the exit on top of Dr. Mother's desk.

That will teach her to act like I'm some sort of lowly lackey!

The door fades, and I see a very attractive looking woman with toffee skin and short brown hair, staring at me in shocked silence from within the tent.

This is my chance! Don't blow this Doorman!

I shift my fingers into the shape of duel pistols, look her in the eye, and wink.

"How you doin?"

I see an instinctual wave of disgust begin to take hold under her shock, and her hand starts reaching for a knife.

Crap! I blew it! I definitely blew it!

Abort!

I turned and dove into a door back to HQ.

Conveniently, my door happens to lead directly to the base's communal fridge. That potato/egg/thing was not particularly filling…

I had just begun to open the fridge when I suddenly feel a sense of certain doom.

Now I'm sliding across the floor, and Alexandria is looming over my form while I delicately cradle my now badly bruised jaw.

She glares down at me and growls.

"If you ever pull something like that on me again, you'll need dental work"

Her costume is somehow covered in small cuts, and singe marks.

There was a crash, and I hear what sounds like a very angry man screaming in German.

She glares at me venomously, before rapidly moving off to deal with whatever the source of the commotion was.

I rub my check and think of how to get my revenge.

The perfect plan comes to mind, and I roll through a door to Earth Aleph.

One of the most amusing things I can do with my powers is find the alternate versions of my coworkers, and just watch them.

There's nothing wrong with me!

This particular alternate is one of my favorites.

Costa Brown, the "secret" identity of Alexandria, and the woman who just **punched me in the face** , is a tall, proud, strong, woman.

She is **confident in her own appearance** , and succeeds at just about anything she puts her mind to.

I watch with amusement, as Aleph Costa Brown, awkwardly tucks her body into itself, in a futile attempt to look smaller, while she waits for her turn to take a job interview.

Aleph Costa Brown is not confident.

When I finally found her it was almost immediately apparent to me that she was a painfully shy and awkward person.

She is obviously embarrassed by her tall stature, and she finds interacting with people difficult.

Recently, she lost her job in a low wage secretarial position. She's been trying to find another one for the last four weeks.

It hasn't been going well.

There is nothing different about the physical appearances of the two Costa Browns.

I have no idea what led to this sort of radical divergence in personalities.

Her turn comes up, and she begins walking toward the door to the office.

She pauses, and then she bites hep lip and squeezes her eyes shut, before opening the door.

Excellent.

I open the portal directly in front of her and she walks through without even noticing anything is wrong. Directly into the testing area.

With any luck, Alexandria will be there now after wrangling that buff looking black haired guy.

Seeing your alternate self is always unsettling.

My stomach grumbles again, and I smile in relief.

I walk through a portal back to my apartment, change into something less eye-grabbing, and door myself into an ally-way near the local Denny's.


	28. (Interlude) This is Fine

Centipedes Eat Worms 2.10

(Rat's POV)

My name is Godfrey Gao but my code name is Rat.

This hasn't really been a good week for me…

I caress the collar that Rabbit whipped up to replace my tongue…

According to him, it detects the vibrations in my throat from my vocal chords and responds accordingly.

Even so, I have to predetermine some speaking patterns for it. If I actually want to say anything…

Curse that Centipede.

It was supposed to be an easy acquisition.

He just walked into our territory and started jogging over the landscape like no one would notice… An obviously inexperienced parahuman.

There were a lot of rumors about the Centipede, but most of them were obviously garbage.

Really? A spirit from the Shinto gods sent to kill the "evil king Shin"?

"King Shin" may have disappeared, but this isn't the first time he's decided to drop everything and move somewhere else.

Last time it was the Gesellscaft's "Die Erlkonig" who disappeared without a trace, only to reappear in Japan. The maniac just got bored again, and decided to find a new fief.

What we had confirmed is that he could heal.

He tore the legs off some minor official's son and then reattached them like it was nothing!

So when we got confirmation from headquarters that he was moving toward the position we were waiting in anyway, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to grab another recruit.

Of course I was sent, since my powers… SHOULD have made recruiting him effortless, but I wasn't alone.

Snake and some of her underlings came along to provide support and keep my stealth armor working, and Tiger took position on a nearby hill to provide support if things went wrong.

Ha ha ha, but what could possibly go wrong.

The ache from the stump of my crushed tongue is getting to me again.

I did everything right!

I approached cautiously, he somehow figured out I was there, but that's the fault of Snake's technology, not mine.

I was in range anyway!

My expressions were perfect! I was actually making progress without even using my powers!

"Stop messing around Rat." They said.

"Master the brat so we can get back into position for the monster parahumans." They said.

It's their fault!

I used my powers and the next thing I know, that monster was rasping out death threats!

We were prepared of course.

I backed off, and Tiger started launching some of the projectiles we had specially prepared to deal with the Freaks.

It went perfectly.

With Snake and her minions providing visuals, Tiger had no trouble hitting the brat before he could get any momentum.

She hit him with one of the darts we had made for Slither, and he went down paralyzed.

Snake's minions moved in and hacked off his extra limbs.

It wouldn't matter if he couldn't walk, he would serve our cause perfectly well, seated in a well-guarded facility in the capitol.

Of course I had to get the last word in…

I made up some tripe from the intelligence we had to show the brat just how far out of his depth he was.

Then everything went wrong…

The next thing I know, I'm being drowned and crushed at the same time, but I can't move, and I'm not losing consciousness either.

Some sort of vile filth is shifting around inside of me and I can't even see or hear anymore.

…

It was terrifying.

Then that witch Snake shot me!

It might have gotten me out away from the Centipede, but it also snapped three of my ribs and gave me a concussion!

When I finally started to wake up, I was being carried away by Snake, and most of that disgusting slime was gone.

Most.

Just when I thought I was safe again, traces of that bile still caught in my lungs flowed into my mouth and smashed my tongue like a rotten plumb.

I woke up with this pathetic collar wrapped around my neck, and a stain of failure on my previously spotless record.

Apparently, Snake and Tiger decided to pin the blame for Tiger killing the brat on me since I wasn't conscious to dispute them…

Curse them both.

 _ ***Sigh***_

There's that ridiculous robotic voice again…

At least my master powers can still work with this thing. I don't want to consider what the Yang Ban would have done with me if my injury had ruined the plan to acquire the Freaks we had been working toward for the last six months.

It took a long period of careful manipulation to get them to enter our holdings in what was once Kazakhstan.

Ever since then, for the past month, our military and our para-humans have been forcing them into constant movement.

They may have inhuman endurance, but even they seem to be vulnerable to mental fatigue.

Air-strikes, ambushes, artillery barrages, explosives.

We've done everything possible to prepare for this capture.

We have prodded the power of the one called Slither's stranger capabilities.

We've discovered the limits of the one called Crag's terra-kinesis.

We've tested the extent of the one called Chitin's invulnerability.

We captured flesh samples of slither's flesh, and Snake was able to develop a poison to slow its healing enough for a capture.

We found a frequency that can destabilise Crag's creations.

We've even developed a psychological profile for the physically invulnerable Chitin.

…

Today is the day we finally add them to our Empire's army.

The military has backed off, to make certain that they won't suspect a thing until it's too late.

This will be an operation exclusively for Zodiac team.

Rabbit and I are already in position with Goat to guard us.

Rabbit needs to be with me to make certain that noting goes wrong with the last minute addition of my artificial speaking apparatus.

Everything is dependent on getting me close enough to master them.

Any moment now, the tunnel that Crag is making for them will be close enough to the surface on the other side of the lake for Tiger's arrow to blow them out of the mountain.

Rabbit's surveillance specialty is almost as vital to our success as my own abilities.

That homely, overdressed shrimp has managed to get tracking devices on each of them when we sacrificed pig, to get close enough to test the effectiveness of my abilities.

…

It's a shame.

I actually liked Pig…

Oh well, he can be replaced.

Rabbit, Goat and I are all safely hidden under the stealth equipment Snake managed to set up for us.

We still haven't managed to develop anything that can make us completely undetectable to them, but at this range they won't be able to find us, until they've already been driven into my sphere of influence.

…

Rabbit has just sent the signal.

They're here.

Tiger takes a moment to fully charge one of her strongest arrows and lets it lose.

I'm not equipped to sense it moving toward the Freaks location, so the only way I know that she even fired is by watching a thirty meter radius crater being blown into the other coast of the lake.

…

Gah!

There's molten rock raining all over our location!

Thankfully Snake's stealth armor was built to compensate for this. Everything has been planned out perfectly.

…

I can see them.

Those three monsters are looming in the crater like they aren't even hurt, but we know that this is getting to them.

A month without rest, and explosions occurring around you every day will ware any man down.

They're tensing to strike back.

This isn't the first time we've done something like this.

Slither will try to use its stranger abilities to drive off Tiger, while Crag prepares to make them a new escape tunnel, and Chitin covers him.

Why wouldn't they do the same thing?

Heh, it's always worked for them so far.

Crag slams its leg down and a cloud of dust obscured their position, and then Slither bursts forward toward Tiger's supposed position.

I can't focus on it anymore. The stranger power makes it impossible for me to continue tracking Slither's form, but that's fine.

Even as Tiger's arrows begin missing Slither's unperceivable form by wide margins, Rabbit's surveillance technology is allowing him to keep track of it.

Rabbit finally sends the signal and a moment later, Tiger launches an arrow exactly where she was told.

Slither seems to twitch an instant before its head would have been taken off and the arrow blows of its left side instead.

That's fine, we know that nothing like this can kill it, and we've arranged for lucky hits before. They won't suspect a thing.

Slither keeps going without any hesitation, and before it can get close enough to Tiger to threaten her, Dragon swoops down in his ridiculously visible armor, and snatches Tiger away like he has so many times before.

He launches several incendiary grenades at Slither while he moves away, and like always, they barely even seem to faze the monster.

The poison in the arrow that clipped Slither won't be noticeable for a while yet.

In a moment, he's disappeared over the lip of this ridiculous mountain, but this time, he isn't done.

Tiger, is deposited nearby, instead of evacuated, and Snake is there to keep her under stealth cover.

Instead of disappearing into the horizon with his ridiculous cape billowing, Dragon, sweeps around the side of the mountain, and snatches up Horse, Monkey, and Rooster in his flight field, and rushes back around Slither's out of position form, flying them toward Slither's comrades.

This too has been attempted before, and they know that they can deal with it.

Horse hits the ground running, keeping up the momentum from her flight with Dragon.

Her long black hair is flying about wildly behind her, and she activates he Breaker capabilities. Everyone's attention is drawn to her.

Somehow, even I have trouble remembering that the petite form of Monkey is balancing on the towering shoulders of Horse.

Just before the two of them can reach the dust cloud, where Crag is no doubt preparing the energy for their escape, Rabbit twitches again, alerting Rooster and Dragon to the movement within.

Dragon's flight field pulses for a moment, and faster than I can see he and Rooster are over the dust cloud.

Rooster's idiotic, bleached blond, spiky hair is swept back, and a blinding light emanates from his form, at the same moment that a sharp cry that I am thankfully armored against washes down over the dust below him.

The beginnings of a tunnel that Crag had prepared, will have lost its integrity and crumbled now.

The dust dissipate, in the same moment, and Chitin bursts forward with its wings moving too quickly to see, to intercept Horse and Monkey.

Monkey got Rabbit's signal, and has already leaped over Chitin's intimidating form to confront Crag, and Horse finally activates her Breaker power.

Horse barely ducks under Chitin's claws quickly enough to avoid being hacked in half at the waste, and she comes up with a kick that defies what were once thought to be the laws of physics.

Chitin isn't damaged at all, but that's fine.

It is still blown back closer to position where I am waiting for them.

Monkey, is darting around Crag's strikes like her name sake, and her limbs with the consistency of steel are battering his armor.

He won't really be damaged by this but that's fine.

He can't dig a tunnel while he's distracted like this.

We've done this before.

Dragon has swept away with Rooster again, before Chitin can recover from the momentum of Horse's strike and move to kill the one who can prevent their escape.

Slither is almost back with its combatted teammates, again, with its Stranger power fully activated, when Rabbit twitches again.

Dragon, adjusts his flight and carries Rooster over a positions where Slither… might be?

Rooster lets off another cry, and his blinding light reveals Slither's already healed (but now almost fully poisoned) form, rushing toward its comrades.

That's when Dog drops her stealth field.

Che… Of course that honor bound fool wouldn't be willing to strike before she can been seen.

Her stock of short blue dyed hair barely shifts as she bursts forward, and starts barraging Slither with strikes form her lance.

Slither, continues moving, anyway, but its movements are thrown off, as it leans back its torso to fight off Dog's assault.

It won't be hindered by this, but it also won't be able to reactivate its stranger power while it's in active combat.

It's nearly made it back to its comrade, when Ox finally shows herself.

The flat nosed woman, has been preparing for this, charging her abilities for the entire period we've been distracting the Freaks.

She rushes out of the position where she was preparing for this, and charges directly toward Crag.

Crag and Chitin are still slowly retreating toward my waiting form, and Horse and Monkey are desperately try to beat the brutes back.

Monkey plays her role perfectly.

Before Crag can notice Ox, Monkey shifts her stance, and deflects a blow from Crag instead of dodging it.

If Monkeys breaker power didn't enforce her body she would have been pulped in an instant, instead Crags blow just shatters her arms.

Monkey falls backwards, but her task was a success.

Crag goes for the kill.

Crag is off balance.

Ox is there.

She clasps her arms around Crag's overextended claw, uses every scrap of her strength and skill as a master of Bak Mei, and hurls Crag toward our position as if she was trying to save Monkey from Crag's killing blow.

Ox's hands are burned badly, but she has accomplished her goal.

They won't see anything wrong here.

We've done it before.

Crag rolls with the throw over the snowy ground, and stands again like nothing happened.

He stops, takes a stance, and begins preparing to make their escape tunnel again.

It doesn't matter.

He's in position now.

Monkey is ignoring her broken arms, and Ox is pushing through the pain of her brunt hands.

They both rush against Chitin, along with Horse.

Chitin is alone and surrounded on three sides.

Separated from Crag, and unable to cover him.

That's when Tiger, launches the arrow she has been charging for all this time toward Crag's isolated body.

Crag Is, by far, the last sensitive of the group. He doesn't see it coming, and the arrow strikes true.

A hole is blown into his left pectoral, and the molten core within is exposed more so than ever.

Chitin lets off an enraged screech, and then its wings begin beating in a pattern I've seen before.

A terrible noise is released around her, and Horse, Monkey, and Ox all clasp their hands over their ears, and roll, out of the way.

Chitin puts on a burst of speed, and gets in-between Crag and Tiger's arrows.

Slither finally manages to land a blow on Dog that is actually capable of slowing the battle nut down, and puts on a burst of speed to get into position with its teammates.

In a mere moment, all three of them are togeather again.

…

Most of my team is too injured to carry on.

Crag's body is healing rapidly as it absorbs the earth below the melted snow.

Slither, has positioned its coil around its comrades, and Chitin is in position to deflect any arrow Tiger may launch at Crag with its invulnerable shell.

In moments Crag will have prepared enough energy for them to escape the airstrike we've trained them to expect.

…

All of this has happened before multiple times, but something has changed today.

…

The poison is done settling into Slither's body.

Its powers are disrupted, and its movements will be slowed almost completely.

Chitin has exhausted its wings by escaping and incapacitating my other three teammates.

It won't be able to use them to produce anything more than a low hum for close to sixty seconds.

Crag has been forced to use all its terra-kinesis to heal.

It won't be able to do anything for a few more moments.

…

All three of them have been moved into position next to Rabbit, Goat, and myself.

Goat raises her hands.

Small spherical force fields appear around each of the Freaks.

She won't be able to hold them in place for long, but she can keep them still for long enough.

They are in range.

Time for me to finish this.

I drop the stealth field and remove my helmet.

" _ **Peace**_ _ **friends! …**_ _ **No**_ _ **need to**_ _ **fight**_ _ **us! … Just**_ _ **relax,**_ __ _ **be silent**_ _ **and**_ _ **listen**_ _ **to**_ _ **what I**_ _ **have to**_ _ **say**_ _ **."**_

They freeze and I've won.

I can't stop the smile that grows on my face even with the ridiculous artificial voice Rabbit made for me.

If Slither could still use its stranger ability when I started speaking, or if Crag could form a spear of earth, or if Chitin could drown me out with its wings, this never could have worked.

They would have killed me before I could lay down enough of my power and it would be over.

None of us could have stopped them for long enough.

They've survived togeather for decades, and they know how to deal with Masters.

But I'm better than that.

I have to gloat now.

I can't help it.

I allow a full predatory grin to grow on my face and begin walking through the snow closer to them.

" _ **Ha Ha Ha,**_ _ **No need to be upset,**_ _ **animals like you**_ _ **never had a chance**_ _ **of triumphing over the world's greatest nations**_ _ **master strategist**_ _ **.**_ _ **Don't worry**_ _ **. I'll take good care of you."**_

Ha Ha ha.

Yesterday was terrible, but this makes up for everything.

I'm going to pet those monsters like the stupid animals they are.

They'll never break my thrall! I'll be more important to the Yang Ban than ever!

I'm one step closer to…

…

I step on something in the snow.

Suddenly the snow all around me twitches, and I can see them.

Black tendrils.

…

The Centipede's tendrils.

…

I guess he didn't die…

" _ **FUUUUUU!"**_


	29. New Friends

Centipedes Eat Worms 2.10

I had no reason to reveal myself in this situation, so I decided to continue covertly observing with my tendril.

I was happy to discover that the three awesome looking individuals were also highly competent combatants.

Seeing them in active combat will make it easier for me to steal their designs.

I was not particularly happy to discover that apparently several members of the Yang Ban team that attacked me yesterday were here.

The awesome trio, were also apparently intelligent, and they fought off what seems like a well-coordinated assault with ease.

I'm not entirely certain I could have dealt with something like this directly by myself…

They get pushed back, but it seems more like they are moving with the blows rather than being defeated. In a matter of moments most of the opposing force is either badly injured, or has fled.

They've all taken a defensive position together now, and they're actually almost directly over me. It seems like they've won.

At least I thought they had, until light blue walls materialized all around them.

… This shouldn't be able to slow them down for long, but it seems like the slitherer has become stiff. Likely it is being affected by the poison they used on me.

What's happening?

" _ **Peace**_ _ **friends! …**_ _ **No**_ _ **need to**_ _ **fight**_ _ **us! … Just**_ _ **relax,**_ __ _ **be silent**_ _ **and**_ _ **listen**_ _ **to**_ _ **what I**_ _ **have to**_ _ **say**_ _ **."**_

…

Rat. That wretch is speaking again somehow even after I crushed his tongue?!

He's speaking _English_ in a strange robotic voice… Somehow I know that and understand everything he says easily.

They freeze…

I knew something had felt off when he talked to me. He was trying to master me!

I'll **kill** him!

…

Wait…

Calm down.

I can't afford to be rash here.

They haven't been following me. Chances are pretty good that they think I'm dead.

…

At the least the sniper from before is watching, and it isn't impossible that others are also observing this scene through those stealth suits…

I can't allow my personal feelings to slow me down.

If they know I'm alive, they won't stop hunting me, and leaving behind a false body won't help me twice.

If I get hit by an ambush like this, geared toward me, by myself, I don't know that I would make it out…

…

I need to put aside my selfish desires and focus on healing that person.

I'll just wai…

" _ **Ha Ha Ha,**_ _ **No need to be upset,**_ _ **animals like you**_ _ **never had a chance**_ _ **of triumphing over the world's greatest nation's**_ _ **master strategist**_ _ **.**_ _ **Don't worry**_ _ **. I'll take good care of you."**_

 **Kill** Him!

He's laughing and gloating, and looking down on them…

It… reminds me of Shin.

No.

I need to cal…

He stepped on my tendril.

The branch tendrils in the snow all twitch in response, and reveal themselves all around him.

…

Well. I guess I don't really have a choice now.

" _ **FUUUUUU!"**_

… I think he recognizes me.

My tendrils switch shift from stealth and detection, to killing.

All around Rat the tendrils sharpen, and then strike, plunging into his flesh at every thin point I could perceive in his armor.

I'm not taking chances this time. My tendrils rip Rat apart, spraying gore all over the surrounding snow.

…

And on two invisible outlines nearby.

…

I begin rapidly rising toward the surface again, while shifting into my combat form.

The material outlining the two invisible forms is sliding off quickly, and I need to move closer to them to make the kill.

I needn't worry. All around the rapidly disappearing outlines, a forest of razor sharp stone pillars erupts out of the snow.

Half of them shatter against pale blue barriers, but for every broken spear, two more rise up.

Soon the two invisible figures are filled with bleeding holes and being raised off the ground as their concealed outlines waver.

Finally the stealth fields collapse and I see two repeatedly impaled suits of armor hanging limply from the jagged rock spikes.

Finally I've reached the surface. The snow bulges above me, and I burst through it to stand up to the full height of my bio-armor, with four centipede tendrils splayed out from my back.

…

The three awesome figures are standing nearby in front of my featureless mask.

They're all looking at me.

…

Each of them is more than twice my height. My jealousy intensifies.

Suddenly the chitenous one beats its wings and bursts forward toward me.

I barely stop myself from diving out of the way when I realize that it isn't moving toward me, but rather in front of me.

It lands next to me, and a wave of light washes over my armor.

The sniper's arrows.

It turns toward me and stares down. Its armor barely seems to have been dented, and its healing so quickly, I'm not sure if it was actually just a smudge.

" _ **We're not sure who you are… but you saved us. We need to get out of here before the military arrives and starts carpet bombing the mountain… You could… come with us… It's better than being alone… Do… You even understand a word I'm saying…"**_

I barely come up to its waste, but its voice sounded… Timid?

Aside from the emotion, its voice was actually identical to the voice in this suit…

I think it's attempting diplomacy!

Not only do they look awesome, they even know how diplomacy works without being crazy!

" _ **That sounds agreeable. We can work out the specifics later."**_

It nods at that and motions me toward the rest of the group…

Only the burning one is there now.

The slitherer somehow moved away without making a sound or leaving a track.

The chitinous one and I burst forward back to the burning one, and I continue looking around for the slitherer.

Hmm? My eyes keep sliding over the area where the three melee fighters had been disabled by the chitinous one before

It's difficult, but my eyes manage to focus on the area they seem to be avoiding. I see the slitherer has reached the three slowly rising figures.

Its, now fully regrown, scythe-like arms whip out and the three are decapitated, before they even notice that the slitherer is among them.

The blue haired spear wielder, brandishes her lance, and seems to be twitching it around is if that would help her find the obvious stranger.

Nothing happens and the area that my eyes can't focus on seems to reorient toward her.

My tendrils shift on my back and the four heads shift into flack spines.

Two mixtures of chemicals are secreted into newly developed sacks behind them, before the division between the two sacks in each tendril disintegrate, and the chemical mix.

There's a crack, and the burning one and the chitinous one both twitch for a moment as the spines are rocketed toward the lancer.

The lancer sees them coming, and dodges away on her still injured leg, just before the spines would have impaled her.

Then the spines rupture, and she is showered in more than a hundred spikes.

Her body falls back and twitches.

I shifted my tendrils into their normal spine launching form, and propelled five more spines toward her skull just to be sure.

There was a crash, and a light washed over me again.

The sense organs on my armor, observed that the chitinous one had just prevented another one of the sniper's arrows from hitting me.

" _ **Thanks."**_

My senses blurred for a moment, and then cleared to reveal the slithering one was next to us again.

It nodded down to me, and moved into a similar formation to the one they used before, but this time I was within the coil.

…

The shooting stopped.

No one seemed to me making a move on us.

I think they may have retreated.

I feel the ground beneath us becoming warm, and in a ten meter radius the snow rapidly began melting.

" _ **Wait! Ah… I don't know your name yet… Are you able to resist damage from molten rock?"**_

The chitinous one is looking at me again, but when I turn my featureless mask toward it, it seems to glance away.

Is it trying to… avoid eye contact? I don't have visible eyes…

The burning one seems to slump, and the sliterer's tail moves over behind the chitinous one and… pat's its shoulder.

" _ **I'll be fine."**_

It nods at me, and the burning one straightens back up before slamming its claws down on the soaked ground.

The earth seems to crater, then sink in the exact radius that the snow had melted on. It happens slowly at first, but when we are finally deep enough into the ground to cover the heads of the tallest of them, the ground seems to start reforming over us.

All of the outside light is blocked off, and soon the only illumination comes from the burning one's body.

Then the earth around us begins to heat rapidly. For a moment I feel like I'm being baked, before I adapt my biology and cope with the heat.

I shift my burrowing senses into existence just in time to feel us lurch, and then we're suddenly moving down and through the ground almost as fast as I can run.

We're in a capsule of stone, but its glowing with heat.

I just stand mutely at we are propelled through the earth and down the mountain.

I actually end up standing around doing nothing for five minutes, before the chitinous one begins to speak.

" _ **Ah… So you can speak English… Do… you remember where you're from then?"**_

I turn toward its towering form, and see its chitinous mask is again avoiding my face…

" _ **I don't know for certain but, I think I'm from Japan. I have amnesia."**_

…

It says nothing to that as if it were expecting me to say more.

We actually end up standing in silence for another two minutes before it speaks again.

" _ **I see… So you're like us then. None of us can remember our pasts… or even our names… We just go by the names other people gave us…"**_

…

It just twitches in place for a minute and crosses its claw tipped arms while… shuffling its six legs in place…

" _ **Well… Any name is better than nothing… I'm called Chitin… The one who's doing the tunneling is called Crag… And that's Slither… It's… good to meet someone new… who doesn't want to kill us."**_

They all seem to glance at me.

Ah! I'm supposed to introduce myself now.

… Should I show them my face?

… I've already trapped myself deep underground with a terramancer, and indestructible insectoid thing, and a creature that seems to heal nearly as fast as I do…

What do I have to lose?

…

With that I shift my armor out of combat mode and instead keep a much smaller more form fitting version to avoid nakedness and defend myself from the heat.

All of their heads snap over to stare at me intently during the process and finally I allow the armor over my head to fade away revealing my masked face.

…

They're staring at me in shock…

Have I done something wrong?

Oh! My mask is still on!

They might think I'm insincere…

I reach up and undo the straps on my mask before pulling it and revealing my face.

…

I'm not even a third of the height of Chitin the shorted of the trio.

…

I suppress my jealousy and finally introduce myself.

"I have also forgotten my original name, but most people seem to call me centipede, so that name is as good as any."

They're just staring at me now.

The extra sense organs I still have in place actually detect that we have stopped moving…

Did I do something wrong?

Are they offended?

…

I have no idea what to do.

I think these people might be good to travel with… After revealing myself today, I doubt I'll get away with crossing the Yang Ban's sphere of influence by myself…

What can I do?

I'm broken out of my dithering by Chitin's verbal dithering.

" _ **Y You… You're human? … and… You're.. a Kid?"**_

…

"Huh?"

They're just surprised by my appearance?

… Human. At least they don't think I'm a spirit…

"Of course I'm human. We're all human."

Chitin just turns away, as do its two companions.

We start moving through the earth again.

…

" _ **I'm not really… I'm not sure anymore…"**_

…

I may have horrible social skills, but even I can tell this issue bothers them a great deal…

"I can check for you. My power is biomancy, and I can scan DNA quite easily."

I avoid mentioning that I want to figure out what pronouns I should be using.

Calling beings that obviously have self-determination "it" seems inappropriate…

…

We lurch to a stop this time, and I almost stumble.

All of their heads snap back toward me again, and they seem to be staring at me even more intensely than before.

…

" _ **You… You can do that… For us?"**_

I don't see what the big deal is…

"Yes. Easily."

…

They all seem to fidget now, but chitin turns away and won't even glance at me.

One of "its" arms is covering the other now, and "it's legs are shuffling again…

 _Human body language, display of fear, stress outlet_

…

Finally one of them moves again.

Slither moves toward me very slowly.

"It" seems cautious… No… That's not it. "It's" being careful.

It seems like Slither is trying not to scare me… with its movements?

…

"It's" going rather slowly, so I walk toward its torso and head area to keep the process from being drawn out further.

Slither freezes when "it" sees me moving toward "it". And the others seem to watch me as well.

They seem… surprised?

"Can I assume you want me to check you first?"

"It's" head tentatively shifts toward me until I'm looking up at the foul face tentacles that I assume slither uses to sense the world are "it".

The awesome tentacles on its back twitch occasionally, and I carefully keep my envy off my face… Touching them may provide the added benefit of allowing me to figure out how their forms work… and how to integrate they're styles into my own…

…

Finally "it's" head nods at me and it slowly leans down, with "its" four scythe-like arms tucked and hidden behind "its" back.

I step forward lay my hand on "its" torso and reach out with the path of other biomancy.

…

Wow.

This is incredibly complex.

There are actually a lot of different structures here, many different designs.

It seems like every cell could… adapt, like there's some sort of underlying capacity for them to communicate with each other and respond to… threats I suppose.

There also doesn't seem to be any sort of traditional organs…

It's more like… every cell can cooperate and shift with the others whenever homeostasis is thrown off.

It all seems like it could happen on its own…

I can't even do this yet…

I was right to be jealous…

Stop. I've gotten distracted. I'm supposed to prove that they are human…

This… this doesn't actually seem human at all.

… But… Chitin was brazenly using involuntary human body language…

I need to look harder.

So I do…

I still don't find human DNA, but…

This is… strange.

The individual cells actually seem to have fragments that seem human.

It's like they were ineptly and forcibly transformed.

That doesn't make sense, whatever power it is that allows for this sort of body seems better than that now…

It's like it was… half dead when it did the initial transformation.

I can work with this.

There may only be fragments, but I can track the patterns. Slowly, I piece together… her full DNA sequence.

…

What?

…

Finally I open my eyes again, and step back so I can better look at Slither's face.

Just before she gently taps my on the shoulder with her tail.

When she sees my eyes open, she rapidly withdraws the tail. As if I would be offended for some reason.

I've been scanning her for seven minutes.

"You're a human female. Your human state had the potential to be about one hundred eighty centimeters tall, and physical strength and endurance that I've never seem outside a para-human…"

I decide that mentioning the apparently purple hair wouldn't be prudent.

They all just stare at me again before Chitin speaks again.

" _ **How… How can you be so sure?"**_

It seems like that question was from all of them…

"It took a while to figure it out because slither's human DNA has been scattered among the other code in her body, but my powers make it entirely possible for me to understand her code well enough to piece it together. I'm entirely certain…"

… Maybe…

"I can show you what she looks like."

This time Crag and Chitin turn toward Slither and I do the same.

She seems hesitant for a moment, before she turns back down to me and nods.

This is going to feel really weird…

My body shifts.

I have to add a good deal more biomass to accommodate the larger body, and the musculature that she likely would have had given her code.

I make certain that outer armor grows with me. If I don't want people seeing me naked, I doubt she does.

My transformation is complete and I look up at Slither.

She seems stunned.

Tentatively, her tail seems to reach for my face. Her face.

It touches me lightly, and then withdraws.

Finally she stands back up straight, and glances at her companions before nodding.

…

" _ **That… You really can show us what we look like?... I…"**_

Crag rests one of his hands on her shoulder before walking toward me with… confidence.

"It's" masklike face seems to turn to me, and "Its" the light in its eyes blinks.

I take that to mean he's going next.

I step toward him, while shifting my body and armor back into their normal form, in the corner of my eye I see Slither shift momentarily as her form faded away. She had never stopped looking at it.

I lay my armored hand on Crag's leg, and quickly adjust the flesh into something that won't be roasted just by touching "it".

My eyes close and I see Crag in truth.

This code is… strange… It's like it's been armored somehow, every cell seems to have a cyst but… they are still able to work with outside the cyst.

I don't waste my time looking for a core of human DNA this time.

I delve my attention into Crag's individual cells and quickly find what I'm looking for.

Again it seems like Crag's original body was torn to pieces by… something.

The functions of the change to his body is amazing, again something I can't do myself yet… but it seems like the original transformation was botched badly.

I withdraw from my thoughts and open my eyes before stepping back.

"You're a human male. Two meters tall, dark hair and eyes. You have a very muscular build. Again, your natural strength and endurance is something I've never seen outside a para-human. Shall I?

Crag's eyes blink without hesitation, and my body shifts again.

When I'm done my body is even larger than I normally am in my combat armor.

Crag's eyes seem to stare at me for a moment, before his eyes blink again.

He doesn't try to touch his body.

From what I saw when I was scanning him he can't actually feel touch anyway.

Crag blinks and then turns toward Chitin again.

Chitin is just glancing at me.

The awkward body language is still there, but "it" can't seem to stop looking.

Finally Crag moves over behind her, and Slither's tail does the same.

They grasp Chitin under the shoulders and the waste respectively, and physically force "it" toward me.

Chitins legs actually dig into the ground and fill our small chamber with a horrible scraping noise as they carve furrows in the rock.

Finally Chitin is directly in front of me.

I shift back into my own form again and glance up at "it".

"Shall I then?"

Chitin desperately glances around avoiding looking at my face while Crag and Slither hold "it" in place. Finally, Chitin tilts the awesome mask covering "its" face down and looks at me.

"… _**Please show me my face…"**_

I step forward and lay my hand on one of Chitin's forelegs and begin to see.

I… I can't see anything.

The armor on the outside here is too thick, I can't actually see through it…

No… I need to try harder.

It doesn't take a… _psychologist_ to realize what being unable to verify whether "it" is human will do to Chitin.

I don't know Chitin yet, but I can't help but feel like hurting this person would be deeply wrong… I'm not sure why.

My arms shifts and flows over the surface of Chitin's carapace, and I completely slip my mind out of the outside world.

Everything I have is focused on this one task.

Finally I make progress.

It… seems like there are layers here.

Myriad layers, each one stronger than the one before.

At first I can't tell exactly what is in each layer, but eventually… I can understand them.

With each new layer I understand, my ability to comprehend this body improves just enough to understand the next layer.

I can do this.

I know what to look for.

Each layer seems to hold a different piece of Chitin's human DNA, somehow this body works even though I can't comprehend how.

Chitin. Her transformation was terribly executed, just like the others.

I open my eyes and step back.

Chitin is staring at me intently.

She doesn't even wait for me to ask.

" _ **Show me… please."**_

My body shifts and I take on the form of a tall woman, lightly browned skin, wavy black hair and dark eyes.

"You are a human female. Growth potential at around one hundred eighty five centimeters. Your physiology seems normal for your size, but your brain seems unusually powerful."

She just stares at me.

She does reach up one of her arms, the razor sharp claw still neatly folded.

She reaches for her face before pausing.

" _ **Can I…"**_

"Go ahead."

She lays her claw against her face lightly.

I don't really understand why, she doesn't have a sense of touch either, but I don't say anything.

She just stares, with her flaw shifting her cheek around for around five minutes before she with draws her claw and speaks again.

" _ **Thank you."**_

They all seem to give their affirmation to that. I actually get the feeling that Slither and Crag are thanking me just as much for showing Chitin as they are for showing themselves.

She's still staring at me, and I keep her form when I speak for a moment longer.

"It was no problem… May I ask something?"

Wow this voice is charismatic.

Chitin nods, and I shift back into my own form to avoid cheating in this exercise of diplomacy by using Chitin's true voice.

"I've been remembering things gradually."

They were paying attention before, but now they're completely focused on me.

"I've managed to remember that before I lost my memories I had two… I think they might have been my sisters… I don't really understand."

They're completely silent and still utterly focused.

"I remember that we were going to Portland in the United States together, before… something happened, and I… well I think I might have died… The point is that they're the only connection I have left, and I'm trying to get there. I got someone to draw me a map, but… it takes me through the Yang Ban's territory. They know I'm here and I don't think I can make it by myself. Will you come with me?"

I hate asking for help like this… but it's something of an equivalent exchange, I've helped them a little bit, although it didn't really take any effort.

If they say yes I'll definitely owe them.

They seem stunned.

No one says anything for about two minutes and I wonder if I've offended them by reaching too far.

They look at each other and finally Chitin speaks again.

" _ **We… Yes! Of course we'll help you. If any of us had the same chance we would leap for it…**_

 _ **You… You're not afraid of us?"**_

Huh?

"Of course I'm not afraid of you. Should I be?"

They all seem to pause for a moment and then they look at me again.

" _ **No Centipede. You will never need to be afraid when you're with us."**_


	30. Journey to the West

Centipedes Eat Worms 2.11

…

I can't think of a response to a claim like that, so I don't try.

Crag shifts and I can feel us begin to move again.

I haven't explained my map to them yet, but I assume that we will be slipping the Yang Ban's trackers before anything else.

I'm not particularly tired, but my sleep was interrupted, by my new companions getting blown out of the earth, and I don't have anything else to do.

"I'm going to take a nap."

I scoped out a good location to sleep, and started walking over to it.

" _ **Huh? Ah, yes that might be a good idea… We don't really need to sleep anymore…"**_

She seems to be fidgeting again.

"I don't need to sleep either, but I do it anyway. You should try."

I make it over to where Slither's coils are encircling our group and flop backwards, leaning on Slither's long tail.

Weird… she got really still after I leaned on her.

Maybe she's tired too.

My eyes close, and I let myself drift off.

Something nudges my foot, and I jolt awake.

In an instant I've jumped to my feet and my senses expand themselves. I rapidly become aware of my surroundings and…

Oh… I'm not being attacked…

I can see the tip of Slither's tail withdrawing quickly.

I guess she woke me up.

" _ **Crag has finished moving us… he could use a break… We were going to… ah…ask you about your plans… how we're going to get to America…"**_

Oh, that makes sense.

Crag is leaning against a wall watching Chitin and I, and Slither is still coiled the same way she's been since we started tunneling.

There's actually a stream of moonlight light entering the Crag made cavern. I guess we're at the surface.

"Actually, I was able to get someone to draw me a map. I've been using the stars to coordinate and follow the route."

" _ **Ah… that's good, navigating is difficult without that… sort of skill… So what route are… we taking."**_

"The map calls for me to continue going north until I've reached the far Eastern tip of Siberia, and then I will swim across the Bering Strait to Alaska and walk the rest of the way."

…

Crag's eyes blink at me in a way that I am beginning to believe expresses approval.

Chitin snaps her body around to face him instantly.

" _ **Shut up Crag! That's a horrible idea!"**_

…

That was the loudest I've ever heard Chitin speak.

Crag's shoulders seem to shrug… it's almost as if he's saying… "Whatever… Not my idea"…

Chitin seems to freeze in… the closest an enormous indestructible arthropod can get to expressing horror… Her body tremors for a moment, and she tentatively turns back toward me before leaning down at the waist.

It doesn't really make much difference, she's still towering over me…

" _ **Ah… I'm sorry Centipede… I didn't mean… I'm sure… Maybe you… uh, don't…. have all the information? ..."**_

Her legs are shuffling again, and her arms are folded together on one side. She also isn't meeting my eye.

I guess I can explain more.

"The moment I remembered that my… sisters were in Portland, I grabbed the nearest map, and threatened some worthless gangster to draw a path for me. So far it's been… unpleasant. The ocean is terrible."

Crag's eyes flash with approval again, and I feel somewhat vindicated, before Chitin somehow seems to sense him doing that behind her and whips around to stare him down for a moment, before he shrugs again.

She turns toward me again, and speaks tentatively while bent down closer to my height. The action is still pointless.

" _ **Centipede… People who are being pressured for information under threat… don't always... Give the best information…"**_

I blinked and considered that…

… "That wretch tricked me, didn't he?"

" _ **Yes… The Bering Strait is one of the most heavily militarized bodies of water in the world… Crossing there is a death sentence. … Getting a boat across would be impossible… Slither might be able to make the swim… but Crag and I…"**_

She seems somewhat less nervous now that she isn't criticising me directly… I'm not sure why, she has good information…

"… I hate the ocean anyway. We'll have to find a different path then… do you know how?"

She paused for a moment before nodding.

" _ **We need to go south. The Indochinese Peninsula is more trouble than its worth for the Chinese to conquer, if we can make it into that area, then we shouldn't have to worry about military strikes. From there we can try to catch a boat in Indonesia. There's a lot of strange rumors about the country, but it's generally accepted that they still have some sort of water going infrastructure going between the islands. It's probably our best shot…"**_

Huh… Chitin does pretty well when she takes charge… It seems like she just realized she took charge. Nervous involuntary human body-language is spreading over her…

She's breaking eye contact now… is… she going to apologise for actually knowing what we need to do and telling me? ... I don't want that to hinder the flow of useful information.

"That sounds good. You seem to know what's going on better than I do. I'll follow your lead."

She seems to have calmed down now that she knows I'm not going to throw a tantrum or something…

" _ **Oh… Uh… Yes… Alright. I'll do my best… You can… You can rely on us."**_

It seems like she's starting to relax now…

"… _**Alright then… We need to make our way south, and avoid getting caught while we do… We'll trace the path we took when we were being pushed here back toward Inner Mongolia. We just… eliminated half of the Yang Ban division that has been perusing us up to this point, and without their master para-human, they can't afford to confront us directly… I don't know if they will still be able to track us but… if we're fast we might make it through central China to Indochina before they can confront us meaningfully again."**_

She paused and turned toward Crag.

" _ **Crag will need time to rest in-between major movements, but he's our best bet to make our way across the country uncontested… We'll travel during the day… rest during the night. Slither can go scouting when we stop, and I… and you and I can check to stars to make sure we're on the right course… If everything goes well… it should take us six days to get out of the country."**_

Nods of affirmation are made around the room and I'm about to settle down again…

" _ **Wait! I… Forgot … Umm… Centipede do you still need to… eat?"**_

"I can go without if I need to. Assuming that we're all relying on Crag for transportation I won't be using much energy."

Chitin seems uncertain of how to respond to that, before I feel… Slither's tail gently tap my shoulder.

I turned toward her can she jerked her head toward the hole that was allowing moon light entrance.

" _ **Ah… That might work… Centipede, do you think you could find what you need to eat with Slither when she goes scouting?"**_

…

They are extremely accommodating for some reason… I shrug.

"Why not."

With that I shifted my by now habitual armor and four tendrils into existence along with a wide array of extra senses. Slither seemed to fade from my perception somewhat, though not nearly as much as she had when I saw her before, before her body coiled up and she swiftly elevated herself out of the hole in the roof of our cave.

I quickly moved to follow and made the jump.

Slither was waiting for me near the exit.

She nodded, and her nearly imperceptible form darted into the darkness.

I directed my pseudo-eyes looked up to the stars, and I feel into a run after her, with my senses stretched out wide to find anything I could eat…

I realized that this would be a routine for the next week, and decided to make the best of it.

It seems that I'll have to take a detour, but this time I have a plan to reach America that doesn't depend on the honesty of a random gangster I was about to kill.

I sense a close concentration of life forms nearby.

 _Pigs_

I gestured with one of my tendrils, and Slither slows down after detecting the movement with the sensitive tentacles on her back.

She faded back into view and gave me a nod, before we both turned and continued in a silent run toward my meal.

Our run was silent, and somehow it seemed… companionable.


	31. Detour

Centipedes Eat Worms 2.12

For the first five days of travel, our new plan worked excellently.

We spent the day-hour's underground, being propelled rapidly through the earth along a straight path by Crag's power. I've never been so bored in my life.

Apparently, Chitin noticed, though because she eventually decided we should use the extra time to swap languages.

It was already obvious that my three new companions knew each other well enough to communicate without saying a word, but when they did need to convey more complicated messages Crag and Slither relayed them by using _Morse code_. A language based on letting out a series of lights or taps to spell out words.

Memorising the patterns was easy enough, and for some reason, I already understood how to spell out the words in English.

By our second day traveling together, I was able to understand Slither and Crag as well as I could Chitin. Not that it made much difference since they really didn't talk much.

We then moved on to trading my knowledge of Japanese for her knowledge of Spanish. Apparently those are the two most prevalent minority languages in Northern America.

During the evenings, when I went out to scout with Slither she took the time to show me how to more effectively blend into my surroundings. Apparently, her ability to avoid detection wasn't entirely due to her stranger power.

Crag seemed content enough to just lean against a wall in our moving cave and watch us whenever he needed to rest between our movements.

Five days had passed, and our plan had been working perfectly... And at this point I'm certain that means we're moving into a trap.

I said as much.

"Slither and I didn't find a single indication that they're looking for us. We haven't found anything for the past five days. There's no way they would just give up. We're walking into a trap."

Slither just nodded her assent.

" _ **I would tell you not to be cynical, but after everything that's happened since we've arrived in this country... You're probably right..."**_

I saw Crag twitch in the corner of my eye and we all turned to watch his eyes.

They flashed in a short pattern while he continued casually leaning against a wall.

"W H O sto ? sto sto sto sto stop U S. stop W E sto sto sto sto sto sto sto sto stop TO stop PUT stop I N sto stop W A Y. Stop"

Oh... I wouldn't have thought to do that... I probably would have tried to find some way to avoid or deflect a trap like this... But Crag is more experienced...

I begin nodding my head to express my understanding, and Slither and Chitin notice.

Slither's tail lashes out rapidly and clips Crag on the back of his head headless of the red hot matter surrounding it, and Chitin whipped around and... glared at him.

" _ **So help me Crag... You'll regret it if you infect Centipede with your bad habits... Just because we can recover from anything doesn't mean he can!"**_

"Actually I can recover from anything... I have more than twenty tons of biomass to burn through, and until I run out I can survive losing anything but the majority of my brain mass... I'm not actually sure if I would even die if I lost my brain..."

Slither's face is pointed toward me with what I can now recognize as intense focus, and Crag's eyes flash their approval.

Chitin turns back toward me and stares as intently as Slither before glancing at her companion. Slither twitches in a way that I can't really translate yet, and Chitin nods.

" _ **You're... sure Centipede? ... You don't need to... If you're not sure we can find another way..."**_

"I'm certain. Biomancy if my power. If nothing else I'm ridiculously hard to kill. We should just do our best to get out of this country as fast as possible before the Yang Ban can start hunting us."

Crag seems to accept what I've said at face value, and goes back to his restful observation

Chitin and Slither continue staring at me for a while longer before they turn toward each other and communicate in some sort of body language I still can't interpret... They turn back toward me and Chitin's rasping voice reverberates through our cave again.

" _ **... I don't like it... But everything we've seen so far indicates that if we give them more time the Yang Ban will just escalate further... We're going to make our final push to get out of the country in the morning... Centipede... Promise us that if you feel like you're in danger... rely on us ok... Don't put yourself in anymore danger then you have to... We can handle any problems we might encounter..."**_

They... Want me to promise... to hide?... Why?... I don't understand... But it doesn't matter.

"I can't promise anything like that. We've agreed to travel together. So we all need to pull our weight. I'll do my best to work together with you Crag and Slither, but I'm not going to hide."

There's no hesitation in my voice or in my movements. I don't know why they're so intent on keeping me out of the line of fire, but I will not be dead weight.

Crag's eyes flash with approval again. I'm starting to think that he's a very reasonable person. I think I might be able to rely on him for advice in the future...

Chitin on the other hand seems to be wavering between flinching away, and shouting back at me, until she meets my eyes.

She tilts her head toward Slither again, who does the same in turn and they nod at each other, before she turns toward me again.

" _ **Alright Centipede. We can't just lock you away... but you WILL stay close if anything goes wrong."**_

Any of the nervousness and hesitation that might have been in her speech or movements normally is gone. That wasn't a request, and it wasn't an order. It was a statement of fact, and I know there will be no negotiations.

I just nod. I'll do whatever I deem necessary, but I can cooperate within reasonable (and poorly defined...) bounds.

Chitin and Slither continue staring at me intently for a while longer before they both nod back.

Then we have an accord. Somehow I doubt either side of it intends to follow the rules unless we feel like it.

We're broken out of our stares, by Crag pushing himself off the wall.

He moves back to the center of the chamber again, and slams his arms back into the ground without any regard for the tense silence he just broke.

There's nothing else to say now. I settle down against one of Slither's coils and decide to take a nap during the silence before the storm.

I awaken as I sense our movements slowing rapidly, and I hop back up to my feet.

" _ **We're almost at the border… Crag's detected a mine field. We're going to take it slow so he can maneuver us between the mines without setting them off…"**_

… For some reason, I'm absolutely certain that won't work.

I shift my body into its full combat form and stand in formation in the center of our group as we carefully move forward on our final stretch.

A flash of light and energy washes over us, and the shell around us shakes and cracks…

Crag tries to move further forward while turning, and yet another undetected explosion washes over us. An enormous piece of the earth shell dislodges from the roof and falls toward me, and I casually blur out of the way.

Before it could crash into the space I once occupied, Chitin blurs into a position next to my old one, and whips out her usually folded claws. They collide with the super dense bolder and it is instantly deflected off its course and rocketed through the air toward into one of our shell's walls, where it lodges itself.

" _ **Crag! Get us above ground,**_ _ **now**_ _ **!"**_

Crag didn't need the instructions, already our shell was shifting around is and beginning to move toward the surface.

The sense tissues covering my armor detect Slither's tail moving into position behind me and then there's no more time for thought.

Crag's earth shell has breaches the surface, and the molten rock it had been immersed it is launched off of the shell.

The moment we breach the surface we are struck by what I can only guess is one of the Sniper's arrows. The shell holds even as a wave of energy washes over us.

Then another blast washes over us from another direction. And another and another and another.

We're being bombarded from all side by the sniper's arrows. They seem weaker than they were before, but that hardly matters because they're raining down on us.

New cracks begin to form in our shell and a deafening noise is ringing throughout the artificial cave.

In between the flashing lights I feel Slither's tail wrap around me and sweep me toward the center of our group next to Chitin and Crag as we are all centralized in as small a portion of our chamber.

Crag slams his claws into the floor of our chamber again, and the walls glow. Then they explode outward. Day-Light floods over us as innumerable razor sharp sharps of super dense stone shrapnel are propelled toward our surroundings.

Dozens of formally invisible forms are revealed by the crimson holes and chunks being blown out of them.

That isn't nearly enough, and soon a new rain of projectiles is flooding toward us.

I begin to build up more biomass over myself, when suddenly I'm completely surrounded by Coil's long tail.

Light washes over me, but I am not struck by any of the arrows that are propelled toward us.

I feel the earth underneath us shifting and thickening, and then we are sliding above the earth toward the border.

I can feel Slither's body through the coils around me, and it seems as if for every one of the weakened arrows that collides with her form, the next one becomes a little less effective.

At first a large amount of her body was being blown off in chunks, but now her healing has caught up with the rain of projectiles and actually seems to be beginning to outpace it.

That's when my senses detect a familiar pair.

The flyer and the one who cracked Crag's creations last time.

They're about a hundred meters off the ground, and moving toward us quickly.

I don't need to think of what to do, the extra biomass around my body thickens into a spherical carapace, and I prepare flack spines in each of my four main tendrils with the cocktail of chemical secretions I used to propel them forward so far last time.

I'm the only member of the group with ranged capabilities, I need to pull my weight.

Four stabilising legs sprout from the bottom of my new outer carapace and I elevate myself above the cover of Slither's coils.

All four of my tendrils point toward the gaudily dressed flyer, and his blond partner, and I launch my flack spines.

The flyer almost doesn't see them coming, but before they can release their payload around him, he suddenly darts upward and to the side.

Innumerable flack spikes are propelled toward him anyway, but he's far enough out of range to dodge them.

They're still moving closer.

A flood of projectiles is launched toward me again. Slither shifts her torso around rapidly, blocking at many as she can, but many get through. They aren't as powerful as the sniper's original shots, but there are many of them, and that's enough.

The extra carapace cracks around me, but it hold well enough to keep my body in-tact.

The same cannot be said for my tendrils which are blown off of my body in a matter of moments.

I withdraw myself back into Slither's coils to regrow my flack spines and tendrils, at the same time that she seemed to be about to push me back down into cover, if her body language is any indication.

The arrows are barely damaging her now, and her body is rapidly recovering to full health.

Even within the coils, I can still sense the flyer and the one who can shatter Crag's stone rapidly drawing closer to us. Chitin is darting around Crag blocking arrows so he can focus on moving our platform over the minefield, and protecting us from any other surprises from below.

It's strange. There seems to be a lot of electricity in the air, and there are tremors around us. It… could be from the arrows… but some instinct is telling me that's not it…

 _Run_

… I've never had this kind of instinct before… It doesn't matter. We are running.

My tendrils are back, and I dart above Slither's coils again. My tendrils lance toward the flyer again, he's getting close. Too close…

The flack spines fly toward him rapidly, and this time he darts forward. Maybe he thinks I can't decide when they detonate.

He's wrong.

The spines rupture around him, and he and his partner are showered in spikes.

Before they can be killed the blond one lights up and lets off a scream.

The spines waver, and fragment. Many of them disintegrate before they can make it closer, but a few still manage to lodge themselves in the flyer and his partner's flesh.

They continue moving forward anyway.

Another volley impacts my shell, and I lose my tendrils again.

I can't withdraw now. They'll be close enough to break Crag's platform if I wait.

Slither seems to realize my intentions and moves to force me down into cover, but before that I see a flash of light blink over us.

The second sniper. The one with the gun.

The light passes through the flyer's head and it bursts into a cloud of red.

Then the rest of his corpse and his partner fall toward the ground from one hundred meters in the air.

I'm shoved back into cover before the next volley can shatter my carapace, but that doesn't stop me from detecting the change.

Several hundred stealth suits and vehicles are illuminated around us and then their stealth drops completely.

The volleys stop again and I think they're stunned. I can sense, two more distinct people being revealed in a formally invisible vehicle.

One figure is wearing a full mask with the visage of a Snarling tiger, and strange wooden armor that seems to be glowing like the arrows that were being launched toward us.

The second figure is standing adjacent to the first, and seems to be a scrawny boy… not much older than I am actually…

The tiger masked one is twitching around… looking for someone when suddenly their head is separated from their body in a red flash. For a moment, I can detect a red blade shape before the blood slides off it and it is again invisible.

The ground seems to be shaking more now.

I raise myself out of Slither's coils again, just in time to witness the explosion when the flyer and his partner crash down into the mine field.

The vehicle suddenly disappears again, and the remaining archers, now revealed surrounding us begin to focus again.

I whip out my tendrils, and prepare to start killing, when the shaking of the ground ceases to be ignorable.

Explosions erupts from the earth all across the minefield several hundred meters in front of us, and the ground cracks open.

An enormous, black, clawed arm erupts from the earth, and lightning strikes the ground all around it.

Everyone has stopped moving. Even Crag.

A figure pulls itself out of the ground. Inhumanly muscular and broad. Fifteen meters tall.

A single, glowing red eye looks out at its surroundings from on high, like some sort of deity… looking down on us like ants…

…

The lightning strikes pause, and we all take in its form.

… Finally Chitin lets out a whisper.

" _ **Behemoth."**_

 _RUN_


	32. Apocalypto

Centipedes Eat worms 2.13

 ***Crash***

 ***BOOM***

We were snapped out of our stupor by Behemoth's first step.

It… he was slow, lazy, and he detonated a landmine, showering the area around him with earth.

The army of hundreds around us began preparing their bows.

In the face of an _endbringer_ , an enemy of the entire human race, we did the only thing a decent human being could do.

" _ **Crag! Get us out of here! Now!"**_

Crag's arms struck down on our stone platform, and we began moving west instead of south.

We began picking up speed, and the endbringer, continued lumbering forward.

Then a rapid series of crashes, and flashes of light began washing over us, and the volleys of hundreds of empowered Chinese capes began to focus all their power on Behemoth.

Hundreds of missiles are raining over Behemoth's form and as I climb back out of slither's coils, the sense tissues on my armor can't even see Behemoths through the constant flood of light and sound that is washing over his form.

 ***Crash***

* **BOOM** *

Behemoth doesn't flinch. He isn't damaged. He doesn't even change his pace. He simply lumbers forward and detonates another landmine, without giving the slightest sign of acknowledgement.

There's a tremor running through the ground all around him.

It reaches us and beyond.

Then Behemoth strikes back.

His body gives no indication of his will.

The fifteen meter titan simply continues walking forward.

 ***Crash***

* **BOOM** *

…

 _ ***Crack***_

He takes his next step, and when the mine detonates so does the earth and sky.

… Nothingness

For all my enhancements to my hearing and seeing tissues, they cannot process the light and sound that floods over everything.

My electricity sense is overwhelmed, and all I have left is my sense of touch and smell as I'm rapidly wrapped around my Slither again, and the scent of ozone floods through the air.

I'm still blinded when I feel us begin to fall, and I realize that the reason my senses aren't coming back is because the flood of sensation hasn't stopped yet.

Electricity washes into Slither's body, and then into mine. Once. Twice. Three Times. Faster.

My body shifts, and twists to find a way to cope with the massive amounts of energy flowing through it. Spikes of more conductive material form through my carapace, and spear their way down for the ground.

… There is no ground.

We're not falling… We're flying through the air.

I feel my senses begin to grow back…

Behemoth has finished his demonstration.

I can finally start to see and hear again, when I feel Slither, and myself by proxy crashing back into the ground.

We roll and I feel the force being dissipated, while I sense Slither's powers starting to kick in and repair her ravaged body.

I shift and I emerge from her coils to survey the world around us.

Complete devastation.

Everywhere I can see around me, the ground is shattered and overturned.

The only thing I can smell is ozone and… the roasted flesh of myself and Slither…

Along with that of the countless charred corpses around us.

What was once a plain, is now a desolate wasteland.

We're nowhere near where we were when we tried to escape before.

Behemoth manipulated the ground to propel us in front of him…

He didn't want to bother turning to kill us.

It seems like the vehicles have met the same fate.

Everything bigger than an individual human has been flung through the air in front of Behemoth, who is still a few hundred meters away from us.

 ***Crash***

Behemoth takes another step.

There's no mine detonation this time.

He already detonated all of them.

All around us there are large, armored vehicles, dented, flipped and twisted, _like a wasteful child's toys._

My body shifts as I stand up again.

Bigger, thicker, with four spiked legs thrust deep into the upturned earth.

Slither's body has nearly finished regenerating beside me.

About ten meters away, I see Crag finally settling back to his feet.

The few dents in his body are already almost repaired.

Chitin is standing up next to him.

I can't even tell if she's been damaged.

We all get our bearings, and Slither and I turn toward Chitin for instructions.

There's no hesitation in her now. I guess she does well under pressure.

I feel the air shift above us ever so slightly for an instant.

Her mouth opens to speak.

At that moment, one of the light sensitive tissues on the side of my head, notes seven slight indentations appearing on Behemoth's body.

One where each of his limbs meets its body, one just above his obsidian toothed maw, one between his pectoral muscles and one where his groin would be if he had one.

For an instant, I see Behemoth stumble backwards slightly.

…

For the second time in minutes my sight and hearing are burned out.

An incredible force has struck me.

My new leg snapped like twigs instantly, and I feel myself being propelled back through the air, tumbling uncontrollably back from my previous position.

I feel like my outer flesh is being liquefied and incinerated at the same time.

Finally I feel my rapidly disintegrating and reforming outer shell skip across the ground for a moment.

I flew through the air for another instant, and when I touched the ground again, I was ready.

Tendrils exploded out of my carapace, piercing into the ground, as deeply as they could without being torn from my body.

For a few instants more, I tore over the surface of the ground, with my tendrils digging deep furrows as I did.

I encountered Behemoth less than five minutes ago… and I've already burned through more than a ton of biomass simply avoiding extermination…

 ***Crash***

Finally I stopped moving and my sight and hearing grew back… again.

I've given up on maintaining a human form now.

I stand up on six limbs spread around my deep black rounded carapace.

The tendrils I used to slow myself are weaving through the air around me, and deep crimson veins of biomass are the only distinguishing features on the surface of my new body.

Behind me I see Chitin standing again, about a dozen meters away. She must have been able to control her flight somewhat with her wings. She looks somewhat singed for a moment, but within instants that impression is gone.

Five dozen meters behind me there is Slither's sprawled, rapidly regenerating form, slowly rising from the ground.

Five dozen meters in front of me is Crag. Standing tall with the earth cratered out behind him.

He probably stopped his momentum the instant he touched the ground…

All around us there are scraps of vehicles sprawled over the ground, and the baked corpses of the humans who used to be alive inside them.

…

Huh?

About seven hundred meters behind us… there seems to be the some sort of _roll cage_ wavering in and out of existence…

Whatever it is, it won't be driving anywhere soon.

…

Movement.

Close to a Kilometer in front of us, I can see something glowing.

Crag was already staring at it intently, as were my other companions, but I didn't think to look there…

It steps forward, and the glowing crust seems to crumble away, though it remains wreathed in white flames.

 ***Crash***

…

Behemoth… he was struck by… I have no idea what…

If I hadn't been careful, just being close to it would have killed me…

He has just emerged from the fireball like it's nothing.

…

No… not quite nothing… I can see Behemoth's body now.

It looks like the flesh all along his pelvis and torso has been stripped off at the surface, and the flesh on the front of his limbs seems to have burned nearly to the bone.

The earth around him has been melted into molten glass.

He's still walking forward like nothing's happened.

We… can't fight this… we need to run… I'm not certain if he has taken notice of our presence yet…

We've been knocked around just by being too close…

 ***Crash***

Behemoth is still emerging from the pillar of flames around its body, the portions of its flesh that had been burned off are visibly growing back.

Crag's hands strike the ground again, and a platform rises under him and begins rapidly making its way back toward the rest of us.

Behind me, I can see Slither rapidly making her way toward us, and Chitin beats her wings and immediately bursts next to me.

" _ **Centipede… we're not getting past that thing. We need to regroup and run as fast and far as possible. That means going back into China. I'm sorry Centipede…"**_

I can't really read her from the inflection of her voice, but I don't really care.

" _ **We can't get to America is we're dead. The Yang Ban is better than this."**_

Crag and Slither finally made it back to us, and we all climbed on top of Crag's expanding platform without a word.

 ***Crash***

Behemoth took another lumbering step, and the fire that still clung to his body was suddenly dissipated.

Already, his body is fully restored.

Behemoth's eye swept over the devastation all around him. His single glowing eye took in the landscape that had been utterly ruined without him even raising a hand.

His movements are lazy. Condescending.

The eye passed over us like everything else, and then continued surveying the landscape like we were of no consequence.

Then it paused.

Behemoth stopped walking mid-step, and his head and eye turned.

He stopped completely, in a position that makes a mockery of natural balance.

All of his focus shifted, and he stared directly at us.

He's completely focused on us.

His eye shifted slightly.

He's completely focused on me.

 _RUN_

He might be powerful, but he's slow. We can still escape is we-

 ***CRASH***

One step propelled him thirty meters forward.

The earth behind him has cratered, but the force means nothing to him.

Crag's platform began moving us away.

 ***CRASH***

Behemoth is propelled thirty more meters forward, and Crag's platform shatters along with the rest of the earth in front of Behemoth's sprinting path.

 ***CRASH***

The length of Behemoth's stride just doubled.

Crag's legs hit the ground and he started pumping his arms. The earth is shifting below his feet. He's moving like _a skater_ ….

My body has already finished shifting.

A four meter tall suit of bio-armor.

Eight tendrils larger than my usual one have sprouted from my back, and I've given up on the idea of human arm and neck proportions.

My wide, shovel like feet push off the ground and I begin sprinting at the same time as Crag.

 ***CRASH***

Behemoth started his run more than a kilometre away from us, but he's gaining ground fast. He's sped up again.

Chitin and Slither have moved up to our flanks.

Slither is difficult for me to sense, but after hunting with her for nearly a week, I can still see her.

She actually seems to be faster like this.

Chitin is running forward on his long insectoid legs, and occasionally leaping forward under the power of her wings when she starts to fall behind.

 ***CRASH***

We're not fast enough like this.

He's still gaining on us…

I see lights blinking on the horizon…

What is th-

 ***BANG***

Explosions detonate above and in front of us, raining shrapnel over everything.

I thicken my carapace and lean through the shards of burning steel while continuing my run.

Slither, takes a few blows, but the shards are ignored and quickly expelled by her healing flesh.

Crag and Chitin ignore the shards and continue running.

 ***CRASH***

The shells are raining down all over the overturned field around us, many of them are striking Behemoth directly.

He doesn't even react.

 ***CRASH***

He doesn't even slow down.

 ***CRASH***

The only thing the shells are doing is slowing us down.

 ***CRASH***

He's five hundred meters away from us now.

 ***CRASH***

Crag begins willing another platform into existence far in front of us, and it begins to gain momentum. We could continue sprinting until it begins to overtake our speed and the-

 ***CRASH***

Behemoth shattered the earth again. The platform has shattered and I almost stumbled before my tendrils caught me.

 ***BANG***

More shells are exploding all around us. By this point Slither, and I have adapted in our own ways to ignore them fairly well, but the force is still slowing us down.

 ***CRASH***

Three hundred meters and still gaining on us…

We can't escape.

Without Crag's platforms, they can't go nearly as fast as me.

 _RUN_

If I were by myself… I could escape.

 ***CRASH***

I could fulfil my obligation and heal that person.

 ***CRASH***

I could live…

 ***CRASH***

 _*FFFFFF HISSSS*_

 ***Crack***

Light lances out behind us, and lightning crashes against the ground under Crag's feet.

The earth loses consistency and he trips.

Immediately Slither and Chitin stop and move back to support him.

I slow to a stop and turn.

 ***CRASH***

Three hundred meters…

Crag turns his back and faces Behemoth's charging form.

The tendrils on the back of Slither's torso twitch, but otherwise she simply moves next to Crag and stays still.

Chitin turn when she speaks.

" _ **Centipede… You seem more suited to speed than the rest of us… You go on ahead… We'll catch up."**_

She doesn't wait for me to respond.

 _RUN_

That sounds logical.

 ***CRASH***

The trio begins counter charging Behemoth.

I have an obligation to live.

 ***CRASH***

They won't catch up to me later.

I turn.

 ***CRASH***

The senses on my body can still see them clearly.

Slither has slipped into her stranger state again.

Crag's body, seems to be growing thicker and darkening showing less of his molten inner body, as he begins skating over the earth toward Behemoth.

Chitin, paused for an instant, before charging forward in between her two comrades, her wings beating occasionally.

 ***CRASH***

Two hundred meters from me. One hundred and fifty meters from my companions.

They're going to die, and if I stay I'll die with them.

 ***CRASH***

I have an obligation… if I don't run now… I'll die indebted to someone else.

 ***CRASH***

If I don't run I'll be wasting their sacrifice.

 ***CRASH***

I take a step.

 ***CRASH***

One hundred meters.

I take another step and start to walk.

The moment my… friends have come within thirty meters of Behemoth, I can see the change wash over them.

Slither's outer flesh seems to cook and boil. Even from here I can smell it among the ozone left over from Behemoth's lightning. She keeps moving forward anyway, already her healing is starting to overtake this force.

Crag barely seems to twitch, and Chitin gives no indication she felt anything at all.

 ***CRASH***

They're eighty meters away from me when they clash.

Crag was in the lead. He barely came up to Behemoth's waste, but he still propelled himself forward with savage abandon.

No. At the last moment, the earth below crag shifted.

He slipped to the side of Behemoth's legs and hacked at the side of his knee, sending black ichor spilling over the earth.

Slither seemed to blur before gliding along Behemoth's opposite side, and leaving two cuts along the side of Behemoth's other knee.

The moment, that both knees had been wounded, Chitin's wings became a blur, and a terrible noise echoed over the plane.

She burst forward and crashed directly into Behemoth's face.

The Titan's legs slipped out in front of him and he fell on his back still sliding forward as a result of his momentum.

 _RUN_

I shift my walk into a jog.

The instant Behemoth was on his back, my friends struck.

Crag moved for Behemoths head with both of his enormous arms over his head, his eyes were letting out far more light than usual, and he brought the somehow sharpening arms down toward Behemoth's eye.

Behemoth jerked to the side and Crag's blow struck one of the obsidian spikes that flanked Behemoth's eye instead.

When Behemoth dodged the form of Slither, that even I could now barely see, was already in place.

Her flesh was bubbling, as it healed against the force that was attempting to bake it, but her body was adapting to Behemoth's power.

Four scythe-like arms lanced out and plunged into Behemoth's eye socket.

At the same time, Chitin had landed, and she beat her wings again.

She burst forward. Moving rapidly for Behemoth's neck.

…

I shifted my walk into a light jog.

…

Then Behemoth stopped faking.

One huge obsidian tipped claw whipped to the side and clamped over Crag's left arm.

The other arm whipped backwards, in a way that would have certainly dislocated a human shoulder, and swatted Chitin to the ground with a clap that echoed over the plane.

Behemoth twitched his head, faster that I've seen him move so far, and Slither's arms were torn out of his eye socket along with chunks of black gore and ichor.

Then the spike on the other side of his gouged eye whipped around with his head, and impaled Slither in the sternum.

 _ESCAPE_

I sped up my jog.

The light senses on my outer body are blinded.

" **Crack"**

A blindingly powerful blast of lightning was poured into Slither's body, and when my senses returned with the thunder, her tail fell to the ground.

Everything above her waste had been burned into a puddle of liquid.

Behemoth's arm whipped back over his torso, with Crag's arm still clamped in his claw.

Crag's body collided with the ground, and Behemoth's fist glowed, and clenched.

Crag's arms was torn from his body as he was slammed into the earth.

Chitin finally recovered and burst forward toward Behemoth.

Lighting blinded me again, as a rain of bolts seared the land around Behemoth.

 _LIVE_

I continued my jog.

 ***CRASH* *CRASH* *CRASH***

When my vision cleared Behemoth was stomping Chitin's body into a molten pool repeatedly.

Finally he brings down his clawed imitation of a foot and started grinding Chitin's body in to the earth, slowly forcing her deeper into the molten ground.

Then Crag leaps forward and clamps around Behemoth's leg with one huge black spiked arm, and another much smaller arm made of molten rock with a few patches of black rock growing over it.

Crag digs his legs into the ground and pushes, with the ground around him shifting obediently to empower his action.

Behemoth's rapidly healing eye shifts over to stare down at Crag, and then Slither's nearly unperceivable tail whips forward and warps around the leg with Crag.

The tip of the tail lances its way deep into the ground with tentacles squirming along its length, and then she pulls with her body tipped by a rapidly bulging lump of flesh where her torso once was.

 _Flee_

I stop hesitating. My body shifts and I break into a full sprint.

Behemoth's leg shifts out from over Chitin, and she instantly burst out of the molten rock trailing shining drops of magma behind her.

Then Behemoth claps his hands together and catches her in mid-air while he stumbles back.

His hands shake as Slither's wings beat mightily and her limbs lance and strake with inhuman force.

Then His hands glow again.

They glow so brightly that I can't even look at them anymore.

 ***FFFFFFFFSSSSS CREEEEEEEE CRACK!***

…

Chitin's body in torn in half lengthwise from her left shoulder to the bottom of her pseudo thorax.

Behemoth drops her twitching body, and her wings continue to flap intermittently.

 _RUN_

My body shifts even more, and now I'm running as fast as I can on four horrific limbs.

The earth all around Crag shatters, and great pillars of black stone lance up at Behemoth.

Crag is propelled toward Behemoth's neck by a mighty push from the earth.

The air around Behemoth distorts, and his arms are just there. Clamped around Crag.

Crag's earth pillars pierce into Behemoth's body lightly, before they stop, and crumble into dust.

Behemoth's arms glow, as he stare dead into Crag's unflinching eyes. Crag attempts to struggle, and then his body stops.

Then it distorts.

 ***SCREEEE CRACK***

Crag's body above his knees, and below his neck collapses and his severed head falls to the ground, with nothing but a small stream of molten rock trailing from the next, of the head with dimming eyes.

…

I'm going as fast as this body can carry me… My flesh is boiling off as I run faster than my limits, and heal the difference with my extra biomass.

Everything around Behemoth becomes nearly imperceptible.

Even his form seems to waver.

Then there's movement, and Slither plunges her entire torso into his eye.

Her tail his clamped itself around Behemoth's neck, and she is leveraging herself from there to shove her body as deeply into Behemoth's eye socket as possible.

Black ichor is pouring out of the no longer glowing socket, and chucks of eye are being flung out behind her.

…

The air goes still.

Behemoth's body glows again, and Slither's body starts to go rigid. Behemoths grasps her at the tail and at the waste, and tears her off of him.

Her body is already starting to adapt, she's starting to move again.

…

Then the air shudders, and everything is white, and indescribably hot.

My vision returns in time for me to see the liquid dripping from Behemoth's grasp where Slither used to be.

…

 _RUN OR DIE_

I'm sorry I decided to leave you behind…

…

I leap and plunge my roasting body toward the still unhealed hole Slither had left in Behemoth's eye socket.

His hands whip up to catch me in midair, and I shed the boiling flesh he attempts to grip before sliding out of the husk and successfully drilling my now entirely inhuman form into Behemoth's empty eye socket.

…

My body is boiling all around me, even as I dig into Behemoth's eye, I know that I can't win. I feel his flesh and I understand.

Layers, like Chitin. He deeper I go the more layers there is… I can't kill this. There's no vitals here… this is decorative flesh… Something… else is here…

Behemoth grasps for the flesh that is still outside and tears.

I let him and detach everything outside his eye socket.

I focus entirely on twisting out the new flesh that is seeping in around me.

I'm sorry…

 _Kim… Nagase…_

I can count the people I care about on one hand… and I refuse to give up any of them. I'll die indebted.

Even though Behemoth can't reach me, my flesh is still boiling off.

I've moved my thought centers to the middle of my body. Given up on human sensibilities and made them as well protected and compact as I can.

Still my once enormous stores of biomass are dwindling away, and victory was never a possibility.

I twist my body, and secrete acids within the eye socket, the strongest I can imagine.

It doesn't matter… But I won't settle down and die.

I'll continue struggling until I am no more…

…

I'm sorry Crag, Slither, Chitin…

I won't be living on in your stead.

I'm too selfish to abandon a friend.

…

I'm down to a single ton of biomass now.

I'm starting to lose my actual body.

…

My senses fade…


	33. Ex Oblivione

Centipedes Eat Worms 2.14

I'm having trouble feeling now…

The sensing tissues around my body are being incinerated.

I've reached out to Behemoth's flesh already, but it's too alien…

I can't assimilate it… I can barely understand it…

My friends are dying outside.

If Behemoth hasn't already killed them, he will finish them off soon…

They couldn't escape even before they were ripped apart…

…

Still… If I have to die… At least I'm not alone.

The heat is starting to become unbearable…

I centralize my flesh more…

My mind begins to fade

…

I'm in the shrine to the idea life again.

… Ironic that I only see this place when I'm about to die…

…

Something has flooded over me.

 _Exactly 15768000 seconds ago, the trait Invictus was obtained, and began advancing in the face of pressure from an illusion specialist master cape_

 _The condition of struggle with para-human abilities has been met for six half a year_

 _Shattered Limiter achieved_

Power.

This is more potential to evolve than I've ever felt before.

I feel like I could double everything I have…

But…

I am evolution.

I can chose my own path.

My companions have been torn apart…

They're dying, and I barely understand their bodies.

I can't help them…

Not unless…

…

I force all of my new power into the advancement of a single path.

Biomancy of Outside Life.

… The shrine shifts around me…

Among the flowers I see new life springing up.

Ugly…

Fierce…

Untamed…

This life doesn't bend to my will…

Yet… Its freedom enhances a different type of beauty.

Vines grow over trees, but the trees aren't being choked.

The life is vibrant… Independent of myself.

Free.

This is true life…

I feel a new sensation.

I can't exit the core of my mind.

There are no senses left for me to go to.

In a matter of instants I will be eradicated…

That's plenty of time.

I feel a new awareness.

Thirty meters all around me, I am aware of everything that lives.

There are only five lives.

No insects or bacteria have survived the sterilizing force that surrounds Behemoth…

First I feel myself.

A shell.

Incredibly dense.

Slowly being eaten away by the intense radiation around me.

No senses remain.

Just a thick cyst, and the nerve matter within that was hosting my mind.

I'm completely closed in now.

All around me.

Pressing in on me, is a masquerade of flesh.

Nothing like this could ever exist naturally.

There is false blood running through this flesh, but it delivers no nutrients, and it has no veins.

Everything around me is an imitation.

Its power is coming from something else…

Something alien…

I don't need to know what yet.

Finally, my focus extends to the three rapidly fading lives around me…

The ones that I was searching for.

The first…

There is a collection, of cells… mutilated. Exhausted. Scattered.

They cling to live, but the constant flow of radiation around Behemoth is overwhelming them.

They desire to heal again, but they are already dying individually and they are not close together enough to cooperate as they reflexively seek to do.

The second.

Two dulling halves of the same single life.

There was something essential in their center. Not delicate, but vulnerable and important.

It cannot heal like this. Radiation is bombarding the halves intensely, just intensely enough to make them linger…

Behemoth is trying to extend this life's suffering.

He is forcing it to die, by pushing just hard enough to prevent it from healing.

With the ability to heal repressed, the information within is dying off.

Soon this life will be nothing but a sterile shell.

The third.

There's a small core of life.

Alien to humanity, its existence is desperately trying to recover, attempting to absorb the ground that is bleeding out into.

Periodically, the earth is almost added and shifted into new alien biomass.

Then it crumbles away.

Behemoth is forcing this life to linger as well.

Pouring water into the sand in front of a man dying from thirst.

Behemoth could have killed all three of them whenever he wanted.

Even though I'm within his head, he could have done the same to me. This flesh is decorative, he could smash his own skull in with no consequences.

He wanted to make us suffer instead.

None of us could heal fast enough to resist the forces on us.

…

Could.

…

The flesh around me is decorative, but it is still flesh, and Behemoth is within my sphere of influence.

I can understand this flesh now.

I can shape this flesh now.

I can **take** this flesh now.

As long as I have flesh, I will never die…

And neither will any of my friends.

From my place inside Behemoth's body, I reach out and shape.

As his false flesh attempts to grow around me, I bend it to my will. It transforms from Behemoth's flesh to my own. In an instant, I begin to propagate like an aggressive cancer.

The false blood flowing through his body, carries my will, and I begin to assimilate his flesh.

One ton, two tons, more…

There's more biomass here than I can count, and more keeps flowing in.

Almost as fast as I can usurp it from him.

Behemoth knows something is wrong instantly, I feel the false flesh of his arms swing forward rapidly, and plunge into his own skull.

His obsidian talons gouge into his own eye as he claws for me.

Go ahead you wretch.

I assimilate more of his flesh and shift myself deeper into his skull. If he wants to get rid of me he'll have to work for it.

New cysts of my flesh. New thought centers are forming all through his body, in his false bones and in his limbs. All through his torso, and down what would be his spine.

I am a cancer to him, and I consume his biomass faster and faster as I spread.

This is enough.

I reach out to the three fading lives of my friends in the same moment, that Behemoth wrenches his claws deeper into his own skull and tears his own head in half.

He still hasn't killed my companions.

I'll never let him get this close again.

I have memorized their DNA.

I've memorized the nature of their power's transformations.

I understand how their powers should have functioned if they had been at full health when my friends were changed.

Their powers are at full health now.

The void in which my own extra biomass exists extends through my new field of life awareness, to each of my companions, and joins with the fading remnants of their bodies.

Behemoth's claw finally wraps around my tumor in his eradicated head and he tears it out.

I feel the physics within his hands distort.

He's going to eradicate my cyst.

I have cysts all through his false body.

My consciousness transfers to another cyst within his torso, where a heart could be if he had one.

I return my focus to my companions, and my biomass joins their power's efforts.

This time however, I shift the process.

Their powers are encouraged to heal their flesh, but it manifests not in the mutilated state they were in as a result of their botched transformations. Instead their bodies shift with their true DNA at the core, and their powers eagerly take the opportunity to grow back to their proper shape, regardless of the details, so long as they saturate every cell with their existence.

There are innumerable forces that dictate the specifics of a human body's development, from activity to nutrition, to the atmosphere and pollutants.

I can't figure out any of those from DNA, so my companions are just going to have to settle for their base human forms being shaped to their ultimate potential development at a physical age of twenty one.

If they want something else they can tell me, when I don't exist as a collection of tumors inside an endbringer.

Behemoth notices what I'm doing, and moves to crush and rend my friends before they can recover.

HE could have just use his power, but the fool is still trying to pretend his body is something other than decoration.

Decoration and food.

The tumors throughout his body, both large and small, connect, and overtake the influence of his false blood.

I'm ready to consume now.

Before the claws of his headless husk can slash down on my friends, I expand my influence exponentially by assimilating at full capacity with all my tumors throughout his limbs.

My will transforms the flesh, and my flesh consumes it.

Behemoth's limbs erupt into a vast collection of red tendrils, and his legs are pulped beneath him, as enormous black centipedes erupts all over his body.

Behemoth's limbs are utterly consumed.

He already tore apart his own head, and I am consuming his new biomass faster than he can emanate it.

I can feel it now.

That alien force that was bending his false blood.

The closer I get to it, the thicker his body gets.

The thicker my new source of biomass gets.

I feel my friends standing back up.

Where once their lives were dulling, now they feel more alive than they've ever been.

There are no flaws to the merging of their powers with their bodies now.

No strangely imposed boundaries on how they could understand their abilities.

I feel them turn their eyes toward me.

I am a huge, pulsating mass of red tendrils, black centipedes and cysts.

All of me is tunneling into, squirming over, and consuming, the headless, limbless husk of Behemoth's body.

I feel heat.

Suddenly a great white light washes over me, and all my companions.

I feel my flesh being eradicated.

And I feel my companions flesh shifting instantly from their restored human forms.

My flesh is being boiled, and eradicated, but that doesn't matter.

The closer to the… _core_ of Behemoth, I get, the more biomass I get.

For every thought cyst he eradicates, ten more grow into existence lodged within his still regenerating flesh.

He heals faster than anyone else can naturally.

Behemoth's healing is an unstoppable force. _Meant to cause despair_

He can't stop himself from healing.

He can't stop feeding me faster than he can kill me.

The light and energy fade, and my companion's lives are still there.

Slither's body, was barely injured, this is what Behemoth used to try to kill her, her power has adapted perfectly. Her new form is shaped differently, but, every cell still cooperates to deny the destruction of her enormous flesh.

The unperceivable nature of her body seems to have intensified, now that it is hosted in a body that wasn't ruined by a dying power.

Crag's new body was bent, and charred, but not broken.

His power is holding him together, and reknitting his hulking armored form.

The earth around him bends to his will, and although I can still feel Behemoth slowing down the healing, the blocks in Crags mind, that once prevented his mind from fully processing his power, are gone.

He might not be able to completely over power Behemoth, but he can bend the earth in his immediate surroundings well enough to form new flesh and armor.

Chitin's empowered body melts off at the surface.

Only at the surface. Her flesh is as durable as the layers of Behemoth's own, and this force isn't enough to get anywhere near to the core. It's too unfocused.

Her new form's wings beat for an instant, and she isn't even knocked back at all, by the force of the radiation.

Behemoth's strike failed.

We are all alive, and stronger than we were when we first encountered him, and I'm getting closer to his core.

New flesh bubbles over me and my prey, and the mass of tendrils and centipedes that is my body, reforms and continues writhing and pulsating over Behemoth's core.

This abomination almost killed me.

HE almost killed my companions.

He was toying with us.

 **MOCKIGN US.**

Behemoth made a point of pretending to be vulnerable, of attempting to make us feel despair.

Forcing us to watch as our companions succumbed one by one, while he extended the deaths of his victims to force all of us to suffer the sight of our friend's deaths.

Extending the process of killing us is the last mistake he'll ever make.

I strip away the last layer of false flesh, and I reach his core.

MY flesh is being crushed, just by being close to this thing, but that doesn't matter.

My power isn't being crushed, and this core is alive.

I continue siphoning away the flesh surrounding the core.

It's still emanating new flesh rapidly. Uncontrollably trying to restore the masquerade of a body.

Hiding his true nature.

Immense power emanated from the sphere, and I feel my flesh being eradicated.

Portions of my body are being burned off.

Impossible forces are propelling my flesh off the core so fast that my flesh's friction with the air around us incinerates it.

My companions move into a new formation with Chitin's armored form, blocking the strikes, and they continue observing the mass intently.

Vast quantities of electricity, shroud the shard.

Immolating, the flesh that surrounds it, but that isn't good enough.

He can't stop generating new flesh for me to use.

I always regenerate, and continue my consumption before I can be completely eradicated.

His own impossibly powerful healing, is his undoing.

The lighting calms.

And I feel the core lifting into the air as my squirming flesh adapts to continue hanging onto it.

Then it slams into the earth so powerfully that we are burrowing meters into the ground and an earthquake emanates from our crater.

The earth all around us quakes, but my companion's life forms are undisturbed.

Crag must have stabilized the ground around them.

The core begins rising back out of the ground, somehow, but I'm still here.

Still feeding.

…

This isn't good enough.

I might not be dying, but neither is Behemoth.

…

His core is spilling out an infinite amount of flesh, and everything around it is being crushed and distorted.

…

I could absorb the flesh faster if I did it at the source…

The core rises back out of the earth, and I extend my power into the core, following the flow of biomass even as I continue to consume what is offered.

My mind follows the flow…

…

…

…

…

…

I… Ca… n't…

T… to… mu… CH…

 _ **Infinite**_

I desperately try to maintain my awareness as I begin bending the mass within its origin.

….

It's… It is like… how I store my extra biomass…

But more.

More that I can imagine.

MORE than I can process.

I desperately attempt to maintain consciousness, as my thought cysts begin to burst from the overwhelming pressure being forced on them.

Too Much…

I can't… process this…

I assimilate the biomass as fast as I can…

The speed keeps increasing…

More life to be assimilated…

More than I can comprehend…

…

A part of me is aware that Behemoth's core has started, warping the space around it flying around, and emanating energy erratically.

All of my flesh outside is being destroyed, and all I can do is attempt to shape Behemoth's biomass fast enough to maintain consciousness in a place where my new flesh is dying almost the instant it forms.

Too dense…

Too much…

The outer part of my awareness responsible for that awareness quickly dies thanks to the overload of information being FORCED into it.

…

I can't.

I've spread my biomass into this core, but it's more than I could possibly process.

I can bend Behemoth's flesh, but my own flesh isn't strong enough to process it.

My tumors, are crushed by the biomasses density, and my neural mass is burned out by the excessive information.

I… have to get out…

Behemoth's body… still trying to regenerate…

I can use that…

I WILL USE THAT!

When new flesh was finally allowed to grow over Behemoth's body without me immediately consuming it, I spread pieces of my own flesh with it.

…

I can't… focus.

Too much… strain… mind….

A cyst of my flesh forms out of the new flesh flowing out of the core….

My last thought is to remove my will from the flesh I left in the place mortal eyes may not see.

…

…

…

(Slither's POV)

My friends are dead.

Nothing I did could save them.

Behemoth, has crushed us utterly.

My head is starting to grow back again… not that it means anything.

I can sense the movement of the world around me with the tentacles on my back.

…

At least we were able to hold off Behemoth long enough to give Centipede a chance to esc-

…

No.

Centipede is coming back for us!

 **WHY!?**

There's nothing he can do, nothing any of us could do but run!

I can't even scream at him to turn back!

This cursed body won't allow me to do even that.

I couldn't even protect one child…

…

No.

I'm still alive, I won't give up while I can still move!

I feel myself fade, and the world fades with me. I'm something else here, something I don't understand.

No one else can understand it either, and that gives me the edge I need.

I lung upward, and before he knows to do anything about it, I have wrapped my tail around Behemoth's neck, and plunged my torso into his repugnant eye.

I begin frantically, savagely digging out the, hopefully, sensitive organ.

Maybe, this will slow down Behemoth long enough for Centipede to escape when I die.

That thing's hands wrap around my body, and I feel all the warmth drain from me in an instant.

I almost froze to death outright, but this body won't release me from my purgatory yet…

I won't give up.

My body begins to adapt even has Behemoth tears me out of his ruined eye socket.

…

Centipede is still running toward us as fast as he can.

It's nice to know someone is still here to care that I'm about to die… but that does nothing to relieve the bitterness I feel at being unable to protect him.

I have to try harder!

I can still-

Searing light and pain.

My mind fades…

…

…

?

Wha… What's happening?

I should be dead, but… somehow I'm healing.

…

This feels different.

I feel warm.

My body reforms around me… and I feel again, but not the way I have been feeling for the past decades of my life.

… My… eyes! Open and I see for the first time I can remember.

…

The land around me is violated.

The earth is like broken glass, there's fire everywhere, and everything smells like death…

… So I'm in Hell then.

I shouldn't be surprised.

Somehow I was always sure that my body was some sort of punishment.

I don't remember what I did before, but I've been fighting and killing in a world that sees me as a monster ever since.

Now in death I am returned to human form to suffer for m-

A large hand wraps around my bare shoulder and I'm forcefully turned around.

… Crag?

I shouldn't be surprised to see him in Hell to.

"Slither, snap out of it and look around you. We're not in Hell."

What!? How did he-

"You're speaking all your thoughts out loud Slither."

…"Oh…"

I silently follow his instructions, and take in the field around us.

This is where I died isn't it?

I look to my side and see…

Isn't that the body Centipede showed Chitin?

…

I'm not so sure she would be in Hell with us if she had died…

Maybe I am still-

 ***Crash***

Only ten meters away I see it.

A mass of red pulsating flow, and black… centipedes?

Centipede is still alive!

I sense something.

I don't know how, but I know what I need to do.

Something within me flexes, and my body shifts.

My flesh grows and changes into a no doubt monstrous-

Huh?

I have no more time to look my new body over, when the world turns white again.

I barely feel it.

This is the power that reduced me to nothing before, and my body has learned and adapted to survive it.

I look to my sides and see that Chitin's monstrous form has also changed.

She too grew, but now she still looks humanoid, with a carapace like suit of blue and white armor, with two glowing yellow eyes, and two sets of golden, insectoid wings sprouting from her back.

I can see her!

I quickly turn to my other side and see Crag's new form.

Black segmented armor.

Like something a knight… no. Something a berserker would ware.

It looks more like it's made of metal than rock.

He's just as tall as he's always been, and I can see burning red light glowing out of his armor at the eyes and the mouth.

…

How did this-

I can feel the air change, and my instincts from decades of struggles together kick in.

Chitin's wings beat, and she practically teleports in front on me. Crag leaps into cover with me behind Chitin's armor faster than I've ever seen him move before.

Wait!

How do we know Chitin's armor-

Blinding light, and then explosions are all around us.

I can't see it, but I can feel somehow. My senses are just as strong as they were before…

Centipede's flesh is being burned and pushed off of what I can only assume is Behemoth.

Pieces of him are bombarding the land around is, and breaking against Chitin's armor.

Lightning flashes out, and we withstand it.

It's like Behemoth is panicking. The methodical application of power from before is gone.

Suddenly, the mass of flesh is lifted into the air… I don't understand how, but Centipede is still writing over it…

In an instant it collides with the ground…

…

…

(Crag's POV)

The sphere of flesh, slams into the ground, and I know immediately with it will shatter the earth.

I reach for my power, and find it more responsive than it has ever been before.

The ground underneath us is held together by my will.

…

Nice

…

Being able to feel, smell, taste and hear again will probably be good too, when we get out of this wasteland.

…

…

(Chitin's POV)

I would still think I was dreaming if I didn't know that I had been unable to sleep for the past two decades.

…

I'm… Really human again…

I feel another bolt of electricity washing over my new (human shaped!) armor and I focus on the problem at hand.

Somehow, we're all still alive, but Centipede is still fighting Behemoth with no sign of it stopping any time soon.

I'm not sure what I can-

…

Something just changed.

The flying sphere of flesh, where Centipede, and Behemoth are struggling has stopped moving.

…

?!

It's jerking around in the air wildly now!

Fire, lighting, and force are being released in ridiculous quantities, but with my armor in place and my friends bracing me, we aren't in any danger.

…

Centipede…

He's just a kid…

His flesh just keeps melting off and growing back... and…

We all start forward when the writing mass of Centipede's flesh surrounding Behemoth burns off and we see what's underneath.

A sphere.

It's jerking around in the air, and still launching energy wildly, but…

It that… Behemoth?

…

Centipede?

Did… Centipede… die…?

Flesh starts to rapidly flow out of the black sphere, hiding it from our sight.

…

I got Centipede killed?

We… I just stood there watching while he struggled for his life to save us and didn-

Wait.

Something else is growing out of the expanding edge of Behemoth's flesh…

That looks like Centipede's armor. A sphere, barely two meters in diameter.

We aren't taking chances.

The moment we can see something that might be Centipede we lunge forward, and I'm there in an instant.

The energy Behemoth's healing flesh is releasing is nothing to me.

My arms wrap around the sphere of Centipede's armor, and I begin to pull it away from the monster's flesh.

The earth rippled, and then Crag is there next to me he's lifting…

I think that was one of Behemoth's spikes, the one Crag severed earlier, but it's been shaped into…

It seems wrong to call that ridiculous length of black something a sword.

He hacks the flash that was clinging to Centipede's sphere, and I'm finally able to tear him lose.

A space of… I can't really see what's there, so it must be Slither, moves up to the mass of flesh and strikes.

Black ichor is sprayed over the earth, and Behemoth's flesh is shredded where it is struck before the hunk of growing meat, is launched dozens of meters away from us, over the ruined ground.

…

The sphere isn't changing…

Centipede doesn't seem to be recovering like we've seen him recover before.

…

We need to give him time to heal.

We need to get out of here, but how?

Behemoth has been determined to prevent our escape… He'll definitely follow us…

We'll just have to try any-

"I can cloak us all if you'll take me and my friend with you for the escape."

I look down, and see a dark suit of armor… feminine I think, carrying what looks like… I think whoever's in that cloak must be… a child.

…

We're dealing with an endbringer, we can't risk not taking every precaution to escape.

Crag and Slither have joined me surrounding the woman, and the person she's carrying.

We might not look as monstrous as we did before, but the fact that in our transformed states we're all more than twice her size makes up the difference…

…

I wasn't able to sense her coming.

We can't afford to say know to improving our chances of escape like this.

I nod, and a stone platform rises up underneath our group.

The woman, pulls something off her back, and plants in in the center of the platform.

I feel some sort of strange field wash over us, and then Crag crouches down in his still armored form, and we are moving.

…

South.

Heh… After everything, it looks like we're back on track to make it to America Centipede…

… I lean down on the stone platform, and continue cradling the sphere of his armor…

"Please make sure you wake up soon, so you don't miss the journey…"

Slither settles down next to me, and stares at the sphere in my arms.

…

"We haven't kept our promise to you so far… but… wake up soon… and we'll make it up to you…"

 _ **End of Part 2**_


	34. (Interlude) Solid Snake Society

Centipedes Eat Worms

(Motoko's POV)

My name is Kusanagi Motoko, I'm thirteen years old... and I can't move.

I woke up two weeks ago.

...

I'm paralyzed from the neck down.

...

I can't even sob.

...

A plane crash...

I can still see the lightning flashing through the windows.

The way the plane shuddered with the thunder.

...

We thought we were lucky.

We managed to get the plane in the air before Leviathan...

Killed Kyushu.

We weren't cleared for any particular destination...

Our path was undecided, but we made it off the island.

...

Then we flew into the storm...

It hadn't been predicted.

It shouldn't have been there... but it was.

I've learned, from listening to one of the doctors, that that too was Leviathan's doing.

The way the monster moved the water around completely invalidated any sort of weather prediction for weeks after it...

Killed my home.

...

Of course it wouldn't let us escape.

...

For some reason, I lived when my parents died.

Now I'm in a hospital in Jakarta.

... I remember Jakarta from Geography...

It used to be the capital of a country called Indonesia, before Indonesia ceased to exist.

Within just a few years of the arrival of Scion, the country fell apart.

With the appearance of para-humans, Indonesia's people rose up all over the island chain, and overthrew their dictator.

After that, the country descended into anarchy.

Religious and tribal warfare erupted everywhere.

There was looting and riots in the cities, pirates in the waters, and rebels and raiders in the forests and mountains.

There hasn't been any news from Indonesia in five years.

Now I'm trapped here, with no one to help me.

...

Yet somehow I've ended up in a hospital.

It doesn't look like a hospital, the doctors don't look like doctors, and it's hot all the time.

...

I can't even understand what anyone is saying.

...

I'm trapped in a warzone, my family is dead, if what the adults on the plane were saying is true... so is my home...

And I can't even feel anything below my neck.

I've never been more terrified.

...

*scratch scratch flip scratch scratch flip slap*

...

Out of the corner of my eye I see him.

A boy, the same age as me.

He has strange features... white hair, and blue eyes.

...

He's the only other surviver of the plane crash.

*scratch scratch flip scratch scratch flip slap*

...

A paper crane.

His bed is surrounded by them.

All day, for the two weeks I've been watching him, he does nothing but fold paper cranes.

He's surrounded by paper cranes. They're overflowing from the small table next to his bed.

...

*scratch scratch flip scratch scratch flip slap*

...

One of the doctors...

He's a younger man, who will only tell me to call him "Chiso", and he could speak Japanese with a thick accent.

Chiso said that the boy woke up ten days before I did.

The boy doesn't even remember his name, but he was pulled from wreckage of the same plane that I was, so they made us roommates in this... hospital that doesn't look like a hospital.

The nameless boy is paralysed like me, except he can still move his left arm.

When the boy woke up, and saw me, Chiso told him that I too was paralysed.

*scratch scratch flip scratch scratch flip slap*

He told him that I couldn't even move a single arm.

For the first day the boy just laid there.

Then he asked for paper.

Chiso provided him with it, Chiso understood what the boy was doing when he started folding cranes.

He understood what it would mean for the nameless boy to fold paper cranes for me.

...

*scratch scratch flip scratch scratch flip slap*

I'm not alone.

...

*scratch scratch flip scratch scratch flip slap*

Neither of us has a family or a country to go back to.

Neither of us understands the people around us, in this country we were taught to fear.

*scratch scratch flip scratch scratch flip slap*

I'm not alone

...

*scratch scratch flip scratch scratch flip slap*

We can't talk to each other, but the strange featured boy has said everything I needed to hear just by folding paper.

...

Chiso made an offer to me last night.

...

He said I'll never be able to move again.

*scratch scratch flip scratch scratch flip slap*

He said he's a para-human, a tinker, and that if I want... He might be able to change that.

...

The price would be giving up my human body.

*scratch scratch flip scratch scratch flip slap*

He told me he made the boy the offer first, but the nameless boy said no, and just went back to making cranes for me.

...

*scratch scratch flip scratch scratch flip slap*

So Chiso is making me the offer instead.

...

It might kill me instead, but if it works... I'll have a new body.

I'll have a "prosthetic body".

*scratch scratch flip scratch scratch flip slap*

The doctor hasn't said it, but I know that if I do this I won't really be human anymore...

But...

If it works... maybe I could make paper cranes for the boy too.

...

*scratch scratch flip scratch scratch flip slap*

...

I've decided.

When Chiso comes back tonight, after the boy is asleep, I'll tell him I agree.

I'll be able to move again, even if it isn't really my body.

I'll be able to show the nameless boy that he isn't alone either.

*scratch scratch flip scratch scratch flip slap*

My eyes shoot open, and I jump to my feet.

!?

My first surprise was that I actually shot up from the bed I was lying in.

...

My second surprise was that I fell forward on my face.

I winced and tried to brace myself

I was too late, and I collided face first with the floor.

My third surprise was that I didn't feel any pain.

...

For just a moment I had thought that it had all been a dream.

A monster hadn't destroyed my home.

My parents hadn't died.

...

I was still human.

...

I clumsily push myself up to my knees.

It's been two weeks since I woke up from Chiso's operation.

I can see, and hear, but those are the only senses Chiso managed to add to this model.

Still, I could move, and I knew what I wanted to do.

I immediately asked for some paper, and Chiso provided me with an entire stack.

I started folding a paper crane.

...

And I couldn't even grip the paper.

My new hands were unfeeling and imprecise.

Whenever I tried to fold a crane, my hand would slip, or I would crush the paper in my clumsy hand.

...

I've been trying to fold cranes in every spare moment I have, whenever Chiso isn't having me running tests.

I haven't gotten any better.

...

I wanted to cry, but I couldn't.

I can't even make tears anymore.

My eyes aren't real.

...

How can I show the nameless boy he isn't alone when I can't even fold a single crane?

How can I show him he isn't alone, when I'm not ever a real human anymore?

...

I can't give up.

The boy folded cranes using one hand and his teeth.

I have to do this.

I can't face him if I can't at least do this much.

...

"He isn't talking anymore you know."

I was startled out of my thoughts by Chiso's voice.

He was standing in my room's doorway clutching some sort of tinker computer in his hands... A "tablet".

He was a shorter man, below average height at least.

His skin was darker than most Japanese were, and I knew now it was because he was actually mixed race.

His father had married a Filipino woman, before moving to Indonesia.

His face was flat, and his eyes always seemed to have bags under them.

He was always trying to help.

I hated him.

I knew it wasn't really fair.

He warned me about all of this before hand, but still...

I had hoped... hoped that by giving up my body, I would be able to help the boy the way he was trying to help me.

I can't.

No matter how hard I try, I can't even fold a crane.

I turned away my head and looked at the wall of his lab.

"Makoto."

I still didn't look at him.

"He wouldn't care."

My head snapped up and I stared him in the face.

I never told him why I had agreed.

I never even mentioned the boy.

How did he... Oh...

I've been trying to fold paper cranes for weeks.

I haven't been very subtle...

Chiso walked back out of my room without another word and I was left to my thoughts.

...

But what if he did care!

What is he thinks I'm... just a doll.

Will he feels more alone?

Will he leave me alone again?

...

I...

But I'm already alone again aren't I.

Only this time I'm choosing to be alone because I'm afraid.

...

I can't fold a paper crane, and I'm not really human...

All I can do is be brave.

My false hands clench under command from my brain.

The only part of me that's still human.

...

I have to try.

I'll show him he isn't alone, even if I can't relate with him as another human anymore.

When I finally worked up the courage to ask Chiso to take me back to see the nameless boy again, the exhausted man jumped out of the chair he had fallen asleep in, and told me we were leaving immediately.

It was three in the morning.

Apparently, he didn't want to give me a chance to back out.

He led me to the hospital room... What had been my hospital room once, and I hesitated in the doorway.

The boy was just staring out the window.

Not moving, but awake late at night anyway.

I began to shift to turn away.

I could come again, another day, maybe after I managed to make some progress folding a paper crane.

I'm sure that would cheer the boy up!

Then Chiso pushed me hard from behind.

I didn't feel it at all, but I still toppled forward into the room.

I lanced out my arm, and managed to catch myself mid-fall, on a table that held some sort of food I didn't recognize.

The table toppled with me, and the plastic platter and glass that were on top of it were sent clattering over the floor.

I started scrambling desperately for the exit again.

I would have been shouting curses at Chiso, but if I did I might draw even more attention from the-

I glanced up mid-thought, and I saw that the boy was staring at me.

At first his eyes were dull, but I could see a spark of curiosity when he focused me.

I was sprawled on my back in a clumsy crab walk and my clothes were covered in some sort of porridge and mango juice.

I froze, and he kept staring at me.

In desperation, I turned my head back to the door way to look for Chiso, but he was gone.

That RAT!

Mechanically...

Stiffly, I turned my head back to look at the boy, as I continued holding myself off of the floor with my arms behind me.

...

This couldn't possibly be going worse!

...

For a moment I consider jumping back to my feet and running back out of the room.

I can't.

The look in his eyes before he saw me... I can't let that look come back to his face.

Even if I'm not human, I still have to try to help the boy who helped me.

...

I desperately try to find the words to say.

He just continues staring at me, the same curiosity shining behind his dull blue eyes.

"Um... Hi."

He continues staring, and doesn't react.

Stupid!

I sounded stupid!

My voice doesn't even sound right.

Enough of this!

I scramble to my feet, and nearly fall down immediately when my sandal begins to slide out from under me in a puddle of mango juice.

Somehow, I manage to regain my balance, with my false arms flailing wildly at both my sides.

When I finally regain my balance, I look at the boy again, and this time I can see... Is that amusement!

It's only there for a moment, and the dull curiosity slides back into place, but I saw it!

If nothing else, my false eyes work well.

He thinks this is funny!

I stomp forward, grab him by the scruff of his hospital gown, and heft him up in his bed, while staring him in the eye!

Enough of this!

I'm going to say what I wanted to say and I'm going to say it now!

"My name is Makoto! Thank you for the paper cranes!"

I was about to say more, when I realized what I was doing...

I was practically attacking a paralysed boy I wanted to thank.

I'm horrified.

I had wanted to say more; I wanted to tell him how much it meant to me.

I wanted to tell him he wasn't alone... but I can't.

I turn my head away, and lower him back into his bed...

... I can't even bare to look at him.

I can see the glare of hateful resentment in my mind well enough.

I finish lowering him back to his bed, and begin to walk back toward the door.

I practically attacked him just because I was embarrassed, and he couldn't even fight back.

I'll just leave him alone he'll-

My balance falters, and I realize that my arm is behind me still, being held back by something.

I turn back, and almost leap in surprise.

The nameless boy's left hand is clenched in a vice grip on my arm.

His knuckles are white, but I didn't even notice until I pulled him out of his bed, and he began falling onto the floor.

I have to face him now.

He's forcing me to see his angry glare.

My reluctantly turn and meet his eyes.

They're full of tears.

I've never seen anyone smile so wide.

Something hits me in the head, and I jerk.

I feel myself beginning to roll and I fall out of my hammock, but my nimble arms manage to catch me mid-fall.

I flip up and take in my surroundings. I'm in a small hut, with palm leaves covering the floor. The sun is flowing in from the windows, and my hammock is teetering back and forth.

"HA Ha Ha HA... I wish you could see yourself when you wake up Makoto... This never gets old..."

My head snaps up and I see my, soon to be deceased, best friend Momotaro in the entrance to my hut.

He's bent over, with his hands on his knees and he's laughing at me!

My name is Kusanagi Makoto, and I'm eighteen.

My body, at this moment, is one hundred seventy centimeters tall. My skin is a light brown and my straight, dark hair reaches my shoulders. My face is slightly round, and my eyes are slightly curved.

Everything about this body is typical of the area I'm in right now, except for the fact that it is entirely artificial.

I'm human.

I leap to my feet with my teeth grinding, and begin charging toward Momotaro.

"I'll settle for watching the dazed look on your face when you wake up from the beating I'm about to give you Taro!"

Before I can catch him, he chucks something at my head. It's a freaking mango!

My friend jerks into a run, but he doesn't stop laughing.

His current body is also one hundred seventy centimeters tall, and his stride is just as good as mine.

His hair is straight and dark like mine, and it reaches his ears. I can see his slightly curved, light brown eyes spark with amusement as he smirks at me with his slightly rounded face over his shoulder.

Perfect.

I trigger the device I set up last night, while he was sleeping, and an invisible device rises in his path.

His feet catch in it as he continues running down the path I was sure he would take, when he continued what has long been a morning tradition when we weren't working.

It was probably unfair of me to use my stealth tinker specialty to win our race, but I've never been one to care about fair-play.

The invisible bolos work perfectly, and Taro falls on his face in a small clearing in the forest.

He immediately shifts it into a roll, and flips onto his back so he can attempt to pull the bolos off his legs, but he's too slow.

Before he can bring up his legs I leapt and pinned him.

I rear back one of my hands in a fist and he looks up at my face and just keeps laughing.

I can't stop myself from joining him.

I roll off of him and just lay on the forest floor next to him with a smile on my face.

A lot of things have changed over the years...

I let out a contented sigh and stretch out on the forest floor.

I can feel.

After I finally worked up the courage to talk to the nameless boy three years ago, Chiso came back in, and the boy immediately signaled that he wanted to have the same operation I had.

Somehow I knew it would work out, and it did.

I wasn't alone anymore.

When the boy woke up, the first thing he did was ask me a favor.

"Help me choose a name."

I suggested Momotaro as a joke, but he accepted it immediately, and it stuck.

Ever since then I haven't been alone.

Every month after the operation, Chiso seemed to have a new innovation to add to our prosthetic bodies, and Taro and I would always work together to figure them out.

Within the first six months, Chiso had somehow managed to make our bodies feel... human.

All of our senses were back, and even more versatile than they had been before, and we could move in ways that I only imagined before any of this happened.

We also discovered that Taro and I had triggered.

It didn't take us long to start stealing Chiso's tools and equipment in the night so we could start to give shape to the ideas in our minds, and it didn't take long for Chiso to find out.

We were both tinkers with some thinker aspects added on.

My specialty is stealth, and I always seem to know how to perfectly accomplish any task that related to my specialty.

Taro's specialty is networking, and he always seems to understand how to work with others perfectly. He's a social butterfly, and he always seems to understand people. He always seems to care.

I've known him for longer than anyone else. He really does care.

I felt my friend's... maybe something more, hand move into place with mine, and my fingers intertwined with his.

I sighed contentedly and drifted back into my reminiscence.

Chiso didn't waste time setting us up with equipment so we could work with him, but he made sure that we didn't spend all our time in the lab.

We soon discovered that we were in a sort of city within the city.

Jakarta itself had long fallen apart in the wake of the civil war that was ravaging what was once Indonesia.

Chiso was a part of a group of Indonesian Christians who had banded together for protection against the occasional lynch mobs that formed from the general population to attempt to find someone to blame for what had gone wrong in their lives.

Chiso had brought us into this walled community after finding us while salvaging the wreckage of our plane.

Christians weren't the only targets on the anger of the masses however, and they weren't the only residents of the tense village within the ruins of what had once been the capital of Indonesia.

Non-Sunni Muslims, transsexuals, ethnic minorities, bastard children and their mothers, there are thousands of people here, who have been rejected by the remnants of society.

Just because they were hiding together, didn't mean that they would like each other.

There was always tension in the air.

Some people tried to break it, tried to cross the lines in society, but few succeeded.

Chiso was one of them.

He managed to get the community to pool together its medical skills, and build a makeshift hospital.

I didn't want any part in this situation, but Taro to one look, and decided that it wasn't good enough.

Within three months he had managed to befriend people, community leaders, and common individual's alike, in every faction within our pseudo village. Age, gender, appearance and status didn't mean a thing to him.

Somehow, he always seemed to understand people, he had a charisma to him that drew everyone to him because, we could all tell, he really cared.

Somehow we all knew we could trust him.

It might have been a para-human ability, but in all my time with him I've never seen him abuse it.

He just used his own connections to connect people with each other. People in the community who grew up hating each other found themselves, almost tricked into making friends, until; somehow, our entire community was united in a way I've never seen before.

Soon enough, he decided that uniting the outcasts wasn't good enough either.

He enlisted my help, and that wasn't hard since we were always together anyway, to get us around the guards and walls of our community and into the rest of the ruined communities outside.

He might have been good with people, but I was always slightly better at the martial arts we had started to pick up within the community. Don't let it be said that Taro and I didn't take advantage of the opportunities his friends provided us to learn.

It was easy for me to figure out a way around the walls without getting caught, and I made sure to always have back up plans for my back up plans in case things went wrong.

At first they didn't.

Taro managed to connect with the impoverished people around us in a way I wouldn't have thought possible.

They were scared, hungry, and many people were sick. Somehow he just connected to them.

Taro was always happy when there were a lot of people around, and his happiness seemed infectious.

It was on one of our trips that we met another boy that I would be willing to consider a true friend.

Mohamed.

His legs had been blown off by a landmine a few years back, and he triggered at some point after that, while he was stuck begging on the street.

He was a tinker like us and his specialty was hacking.

It was actually him who contacted us.

Apparently he had been watching us for a while, trying to figure out how Taro's prosthetic body worked without being noticed.

I had already integrated some of my stealth technology into mine, so I avoided notice.

Taro and I were wandering around in the slums, when Taro suddenly went rigid.

...

I snapped out of my musings again when I realized someone was poking my in the forehead.

"Hey Motoko, are you going to untie my legs anytime soon?"

"No. Shut up."

He sighed and lay back again, and I closed my eyes.

...

"Makoto, someone needs our help!"

That was the first thing he said to me when he awoke to me shaking his unresponsive body.

"Explain."

He nodded before he broke into a sprint.

"I'll explain on the way."

I resisted the urge to shoot out one of his legs with the stealth pistol I brought with me before sprinting after him.

"Some kid named Mohamed is being kidnapped by the Chinese government's spy network. He's a para-human like us, and he's discovered an entire network of Yang Ban plants and agents working to keep Indonesia in a state of anarchy to make its annexation easier. He hacked me."

... What?

"The kid's a hacking specialist tinker, he took over my sight and hearing so he could ask for my help!"

I put on a burst of speed.

I had a reason to run now.

After we rescue this kid, I'm going to strangle him for that.

We arrived at the place Taro seemed to think the kid wanted us to go, and I slid into the shadows in an alleyway before pulling out my pistol.

Taro of course decided to skip subtlety, and kicked the door down.

I managed to keep myself from letting out a frustrated scream as I moved into the door way after him,with my pistol held in front of me.

*Crack*

I ducked into the door-way and saw Taro spin a kick into a man who was holding a submachine gun.

The man crumpled along with his neck, and I took in the rest of the room.

It was filled with cheap looking computer monitors, and hardware that I didn't really recognize.

There were also four more armed men inside, all of them were bringing their guns to bare on Taro, and one of them was stranding over a tan skinned boy, with no legs who couldn't have been more than ten years old.

I didn't even need to think.

My pistol shifted through four different positions in inhumanly fast succession, and I snapped off four shots without producing a sound.

Four men fell, with holes blown thru their foreheads.

...

I was horrified... I just killed four people without even thinking about it...

And... I don't feel any guilt... It's like their lives stopped mattering to me as soon as I saw them as a threat.

Is this part of my power... or is it because...

Am I really...

A hand landed on my shoulder.

Taro didn't say anything, but I understood the gesture for what it was.

"Thank you."

I turned a saw the legless boy staring at us with awe.

"You saved me... Thank you."

He was speaking through some sort of mechanical device and his voice was robotic.

I allowed myself to remove my eyes from the bodies of the men I just killed and focus on something, anything else.

That day I killed for the first time.

Taro did his best to help me through it, but... something about my power had actually made it easy for me, and I could tell that this was a... weak point for Taro.

He didn't feel guilty for killing the first man at all.

It was the first and only time I found something that Taro couldn't effectively empathise with me in.

We brought Mohamed into the community, and Chiso helped set the boy up with new legs, and vocal chords...

He slid into our lives like he had always been there, and even I found myself warming to the enthusiastic hacker quickly.

We didn't waste time after Mohammed could walk.

Somehow, the mixture of Taro's contacts, and Mohamed's information, was exactly what was needed to bring our community of outcasts together with the other slum communities around us.

We united in opposition to the Yang Ban, but once Taro's foot was in the door to cooperation, you were doomed to find yourself befriending people you thought you would hate for your entire life.

...

Soon Chiso's hospital was expanding to help treat the entire remnants of the city, and Taro, Muhammad and I managed to drive out the Yang Ban with the combination of our contacts, information and skills respectively.

It still wasn't enough for Taro.

Within our first year together, he had led us, and a growing army of devoted followers to our "Society" to unite the entirety of Java Island, and he still pushed for more.

"A world where people have to choose between slavery and anarchy isn't good enough!" he would always say.

He wanted everyone to feel the freedom and security that he always seemed to revel in.

It wasn't just Taro, Muhammad, Chiso and I anymore.

Para-humans and normal humans alike flocked to our society, and soon we were hopping from island to island, uniting the archipelago, one society at a time.

Chiso's hospital had evolved into something else. He set himself to the task of enabling anyone who ever felt crippled. I don't really know why he was so driven, but the results spoke for themselves.

Chiso's prosthetics have become a staple of life in the archipelago.

Somehow, he managed to simplify them into something that could be mass produced, and he made sure that anyone in his power could have them.

Mohamed, Taro and I set about driving the Yang Ban off our archipelago, and drawing people who had never had anything in common together.

We've just finished our final mission in a long campaign.

We've somehow recruited the Philippine Islands into our federation.

After all these years, I still have no idea how he does it, but Taro convinced one island after another to join.

Along the way, Mohamed and I have warded off countless assassination attempts, and worked with our federation's growing military to kill off the sort of monsters that always seem to appear in society when the only requirement to receive super powers is to have a horrible day.

...

I continue laying back in the shade of the trees around us and just appreciate the peace we've earned together.

"Hey Motoko, Taro, there's something you need to see."

*Sigh*

"Mohamed... can't you see we're busy?"

I sit up to stare our now fourteen year old friend in the eye, and intimidate him into leaving us to our moment.

He meets my gaze head on and doesn't flinch... This is important.

I let go of Taro's hand and hop to my feet.

"Show me Mohamed."

I turn and I begin following him back to the hut where he's keeping his tools.

"Hey! Motoko! Aren't you going to let me go?"

He's trying to sit up, and he's unbalanced. Perfect.

My prosthetic body sends off a signal with a thought and the restraints on Taro's legs loosen while he was resting his weight on them.

He falls on his face, and I keep walking after Mohamed with a smirk on my face.

...

When he finally shows us what he intended to... it wasn't good.

He finally did it. He didn't need to be in a lab somewhere with a huge super computer when he had a networking specialist tinker working with him.

Mohammed had drawn on the power of the network he, Taro and I had set up together, and finally pierced the Yang Ban's security.

One hundred thousand men woman and children

They've managed to get together that many para-humans.

This information explained how.

Two capes are key stones to the Yang Ban's seemingly endless manpower.

One of "Emperor Nam's" sons who goes by the name of Rat, managed to acquire a power that can allow him to enthral anyone, force them to believe anything.

Whenever the Yang Ban got their hands on anyone with questionable loyalty, they sent them to him.

They never have to waste a potential resource, because they can secure anyone's loyalty.

Rat triggered years ago, but he's still only a teenager... how long have they been using him like this...

The second asset is newer, but much more dangerous.

He's new, but that hardly matters.

They've managed to kidnap and enthrall a boy with the power to... communicate powers to ordinary people.

He can only use on power at a time, and the powers lose some of their effect, but...

There's no discovered quantity limit so far.

In a few years they will feel secure enough to make their move, whether or not these islands are in chaos.

Regardless, of how strong the society we build is... with potential numbers like that they could roll over the world.

I have to stop them...

They think they're infiltrator proof, but they don't know what I'm capable of. I'm more of a legend than I am a known entity...

"Don't even think about it Motoko."

I turn to the doorway and see that Taro is staring me down.

I can't remember the last time I've seen him look this determined... or this scared.

"There's only one way we can stop this Taro and you know it. I've already decided."

Emotions flit across his face faster than I've ever seen before.

Terror, anger, frustration, regret...

He tries to put on a smile, but it's the fakest one I've seen on his face since... I figured out his real name.

"That's just your power talking Motoko... There are plenty of other solutions we could-"

Don't try that with me Taro, you know it won't work.

...

More emotion's quickly flit across Taro's face.

Terror, Fury, resignation, desperation...

"We... aaaa... we don't need to... The federation is strong enough without us...

We've been working hard for a while... why don't we take a vacation to Hawaii... it's important that we allow the people of the Federation to stand on their own... It can't just be about us Motoko."

I've never seen an expression as false or desperate as the smile on my best friend's face in this moment. We both know what he's really saying. "This doesn't have to be our problem. We can leave them all behind and live."

... I can't let him do that, because I know that if I do this wretched imitation of a smile will be the one he ever wears, everyday for the rest of our lives.

Mohamed stepped out of his own room and left us to our conversation without a word.

I look Taro in the eye and speak.

"No Taro."

He jumps forward to continue trying to dissuade me, and I step forward as well and wrap my hands around his neck.

He seems confused before I pull him and kiss him lightly on the lips.

If I'm going to take a mission like this I'm not about to die without having done at least that much.

Taro has frozen completely, and now he's just staring back into my eyes.

"No Taro. We both know it would kill you. After everything I've put into your crazy dream, I think it would destroy me too if I let it fall apart just because I was a coward."

Taro looks like he's desperately searching for words, but he's too stunned to say anything.

Ha. I can't help but feel proud that I managed to shut him up this easily.

"I can do it Taro. I will do it. We've come too far to give up now."

I allow a smile to slip onto my face as Taro's arms come up and wrap around me.

"But I know you won't be able to sit still while I do all the work. How about a wager Taro?"

I watch Taro swallow a lump in his throat that really shouldn't be there considering that our bodies are both prosthetic.

"What are the terms?"

My smile becomes predatory, and I lean forward until we're nose to nose.

"I'm going to assassinate Rat, and kill or capture the para-human who can share powers. In that time, you are going to bring Japan into the federation."

He balks as soon as I mention Japan, and I know why.

Before he can object, I lean in a steal another kiss.

"You're ready to face him Taro, and we both know you need to do it eventually. You're more of a man than your father could ever be. You're ready to strike down Shin."

He looks into my eyes again. He's stunned because of more than just the kiss this time.

"Don't forget about the stakes Taro. If you manage to get your half of the bet done and get back home to Jakarta before I do, then I'll allow you to marry me. However, if I make it back before you do than I will marry you."

I smirked at him, and stepped back out of our embrace.

"Do we have a bet Taro?"

Emotions flit across his face again, and this time, faster than I can distinguish.

Finally he settles on a resigned smile.

"I won't be able to stop you will I Motoko?"

"No. You won't."

His smile blooms over his face, like the night I thanked him for the paper cranes five years ago.

"I'm going to win Motoko. Don't keep me waiting to collect my prize."

I allow a full smile to flow onto my face as well.

"Please Taro, you know the only thing you can out do me in is talking."

...

"I don't suppose we could put off starting our bet until tomorrow, could we Motoko?"

I smile at him, and then lunge forward to grab his wrist before sprinting into the forest with my fiancé in tow.

I'll make the most of every moment.

My name is Kusanagi Motoko... and something has gone terribly wrong.

I was preparing for a mission to assassinate Emperor Nam himself.

I had made it into Beijing, and was preparing for the, likely suicidal, mission when I suddenly found myself completely paralyzed.

I blacked out before I could figure out what was happening.

When I woke up I was in a small interrogation room, unbound in a chair.

I can't move.

How did this happen?

I should be better than this... I'm sure of it.

There's something wrong with my mind, blank spots that my focus slides off.

I feel like my skills have been dampened somehow, and my prosthetic body feels sluggish.

It's like I'm in a lower quality model for some re a s o... n... huh?

What was I thinking about?

The Yang Ban had originally intended to experiment on my body. To use my capture as an opportunity to better understand... some Indonesian tinker whose name escapes me's work better.

Then they found some of my stealth technology, and realized I was a tinker as well.

Now I'm trapped, sitting in a chair.

I'm unbound and I don't have any guards, but I'm still trapped.

They removed my arms and legs.

I can hear footsteps approaching my cell.

The door is thrown open, and I see a man... no more of a boy really.

He has handsome features and a sincere, benevolent expression on his face.

Something tells me I can trust this boy.

Something else tells me to kill him.

"Hello miss Kusanagi. My name is Rat, and I have an important proposition for you."

I feel my mind lock onto his words.

What he's saying is of the utmost importance.

"I'll get right to the point miss Kusanagi. The Yang Ban would like to invite you to join us. You should join us. We will give you purpose. We will make the best use of you."

...

It all makes sense!

Why have I been wasting my life?

"I will! I will join the Yang Ban!"

Rat's response is a smile full of life and sincerity. (Not as sincere as ****)

"I promise, we'll take good care of you. I'm actually starting a new organization called the Zodiac Unit. You will join as my subordinate. Welcome to the Yang Ban... Snake."

My name is Snake and I have only one purpose.

I will serve the Yang Ban and remain loyal.

I continue to observe our target through my scope as he eats a dog raw.

Really, we're saving this kid...

Rat moves forward while wearing one of my suits he is completely unseen, except for a small flaw.

Air is still displaced by his movements.

I feel like I should be able to solve this flaw, but every time I try to figure out how, I feel like the knowledge is blocked somehow.

Rat has been discovered.

I feel myself smile, as I hear our now armored mark threatening Rat.

I'm not sure why, but I've always disliked him.

I send out a signal, and Special Forces soldiers I have personally equipped begin to move into position for the secondary plan of action.

Tiger's arrows cut through the air, and the target's limbs are severed until he is finally immobilized. Rabbit's information says that the target has powerful regeneration abilities and is even capable of healing others; we don't need to worry about crippling him.

Really, the only concern is the poison I prepared for Tiger's arrows.

It wasn't designed for this target, but we don't have time to prepare anything specific.

The mark is a new trigger, and we have been busy preparing to capture the Freaks.

We've been working toward capturing them for more than a month, and we're almost ready.

The "Centipede" is merely low hanging fruit we can't afford to miss.

If used correctly, his power could be a great benefit to society.

...

For some reason thinking things like that is painful.

Rat is standing in front of the target now.

I subconsciously find myself moving my scope to aim at my leader's head.

What happens next is too fast for me to fully compute.

I feel like I should be able to compute it, but for some reason I feel a block when I try to.

Soon Rat is being used as a shield, and the target is dragging him toward our secondary back up plan.

The building is already rigged to explode.

I aim and take a shot.

As I thought he would, the target ducks.

The round collides with the strange material covering Rat, and he's blown across the clearing.

I send a signal and more of my men move into position for the next attempt.

Rat is dragged off from the hedge, and I feel a pang of regret that I didn't use a stronger round.

I really thought that would have killed him...

Why did I think that? I should report my s e l... huh? What was I thinking again?

Oh well.

The building explodes, and I move to examine the location where the target's shell landed.

My men are there with me and they cut it open with a great deal of effort when I give the order.

A body.

Broken and twisted.

Somehow... it looks familiar.

It's like he resembles someone I know...

That hardly matters now though, this is a corpse, and everything I know tells me that the target has faked his death.

I activate my communicator, and prepare to inform the rest of the team.

"The target is dead. Body confirmed."

Huh? Why di e...

What was I thinking of again.

My name is Snake, and everything is going wrong.

For some reason, I don't understand, I have prepared several of my squad mate's armor, with severe flaws.

I keep moving to fix them, as is my duty, but I always forget what I was doing before I can.

I need to signal the Master/Stranger Protocols Unit, so I can turn myself in, but I always forget about that too.

Oh well.

Despite the flaws in their equipment, it seems like my team's mission is successful.

Rat has finally captured the Freaks, just as planned, and according to the information I accidentally found (Again!), we will be able to use them to delay the suspected attack by Behemoth in a week, long enough to evacuate at the last minute.

I'm glad we have such a powerful pre-cog in the Yang Ban. Without his ability to predict attacks, we would never be able to act as confidently as we do.

Thankfully, he was able to confirm that the threats to Rat's person in this plan are virtually non-existent.

I guess these results prove him right.

Another strange thing is, they predicted that if the Distributer and I aren't there for the attack, then Behemoth will wipe out most of the fertile land in Southern China!

I don't know why, but we're being targeted, and if we don't show up, much of the nation will starve.

Oh well... I'll do my duty and sacrifice myself for my country.

...

The only thing that seems strange is that he confirmed that Centipede is dead...

It doesn't make sense.

I'm absolutely certain he survived, even though I keep forgetting to tell anyone, but the pre-cog said he didn't detect any potential altercations with or toward the Centipede when we showed him the picture, so surely Centipede must be dead.

...

Tendrils erupt from the snow and rip Rat apart.

The blood and gore lands on Rabbit and Ram, and the flaws in their stealth armor prevent them from successfully hiding.

Pain!

I feel like my brain is shifting.

Rat has only been dead for a few moments, and I already need him to...

...

...

...

I mind is restored.

My name is Kusanagi Makoto and I am twenty one years old.

Three years ago, with the help of my friends, Chiso, Mohamed, and Taro. I created and installed an implant in my brain case.

It suppressed my active mind, allowed it to provide a restrained iteration of my abilities, along with intelligence that would seem useful and accurate to the Yang Ban. It allowed me to be restored from whatever it is that Rat did to my mind.

It wasn't supposed to activate like this... this can only mean that one of the fail-safes has been tripped.

I scan my memories quickly, and I figure out what's going on.

Ah, Rat died early...

Normally that would be a problem.

I needed to kill him, and capture the Distributer at the same time for optimal success, but I didn't need to kill Rat anymore, did I...

Someone else has eliminated him for me, and apparently both the Distributer and I are going to be put on the same battlefield near a border.

This is perfect, except we're going to be attacked by Behemoth.

...

I take a deep breath and focus.

I can do this, but I need to prepare.

Because of her "failure" in the mission to capture Centipede yesterday, Tiger has been chosen as the power source for the Distributer.

The rest will be brain washed prisoners and experiments who are no longer useful.

A thousand iterations of Tiger's power would be dangerous to almost everything, but against Behemoth... I doubt it will even slow him down.

I'll be expected to prepare as well.

They told me this will also be my opportunity to redeem myself for my failure in capturing Centipede, but my hidden protocols have allowed me to obtain the real reason.

Behemoth is targeting me and the Distributer, and the government has decided they can afford the sacrifice.

Heh...

I guess I won't be winning our bet...

Still, I couldn't face myself if I ran now, and Behemoth followed me.

I'm not a coward.

I'm not giving up, but I have no delusions that I can out do an endbringer, a global super power maybe, but not an endbringer.

Still, this is the final hurdle. If I can somehow make it through here it will be over.

...

I allow a smile to flow onto my face for the first time in three years.

Taro has never beaten me at anything other than talking... and origami...

I'll focus on collecting my prize.

I move into position on the main combat truck.

This is where Tiger, the Distributer and I will be waiting for Behemoth.

I haven't had time to gather more information for the last week.

I've spent every moment preparing to get out of this alive.

For some absurd reason, the government wanted me to prepare several nuclear weapons with my stealth fields.

If I wasn't an infiltrator, I would have tried to explain how idiotic it is to attempt to kill an endbringer known to control radiation, with nuclear weapons.

However, the flash, and the force from them will make excellent cover, if my preparation's hold.

...

Behemoth is known as the "cape killer" in the West, for his ability to kill any non invulnerable para-human within approximately thirty meters of himself.

He does it by bypassing the Manton effect and pumping enough radiation into his victims to bake them from the inside out.

The foundation of stealth is the capability to avoid electro-magnetic waves, and vibrations in general.

Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't have had time to prepare armor like that for everyone here, but I was able to prepare it for myself, for the Distributer, and for the vehicle we're in.

I walk up to the top of the vehicle, with my stealth system fully engaged.

I've killed the driver, and soon it will be time to make my move.

I just need to wait for Behemoth to be distracted and hope for the best.

...

The ground erupts, and I prepare to kill Tiger and make my escape.

...

That is not Behemoth.

The Freaks and the Centipede are here!? Now!?

There are limits to how bad someone's luck can be, and I'm incredulous about theirs.

This is good for me though.

I carefully suppress the knowledge of how closely the Centipede's human form resembled Taro when we first met, and decide to use the opportunity for what it is.

If I can keep them here, and in one piece until Behemoth arrives I might be able to escape.

I watch as they begin plowing toward the minefield, in attempt to cross the border.

I prepared many of the mines myself, and when I make my crossing, No one will be following me.

I see a light in the sky and...

UUUUGHHHH...

Dragon and Rooster are here to save the day.

They're among the, surprisingly numerous, genuinely loyal and patriotic members of the Yang Ban, and they're no doubt going to attempt to slow down the Freaks and Centipede for as long as they can.

Morons!

Rooster might actually weaken them if they try to use his abilities.

What good will they be against Behemoth then!?

They swoop in to assault the Freaks and I prepare my shot as they weave their way through Centipede's ... flack spines?

They're too close.

I can't let this happen.

I'm going to make my move now, and hope for the best.

I raise my rifle, and run the shot's equations though my head one last time.

My gun doesn't make a sound, but the bullet still fulfills its purpose.

Dragon's head exploded, and Rooster begins to plummet to his death.

I would feel guilty, but for all their patriotism, I've worked with them for three years. The Zodiac Squad deserves to die to a man.

If my power didn't suppress my feelings about this kind of thing, there would be no way I could live with myself.

The stealth fields on every person, and every vehicle except for me fades.

Tiger immediately begins searching for me.

She was always suspicious of everyone, always hated anyone she couldn't control with fear.

She probably expected this from every one of us at some point.

I'm behind her and my sword whips out.

Her severed head falls, and I scoop up the Distributor, and carry him into the re-stealthed vehicle that I prepared personally.

It's time to get out of here.

...

In that moment my external sight picked up Behemoth's hand erupting from the ground.

I don't stop the vehicle, but I still take him in as he climbs out of the earth like a swimmer from water.

He's a fifteen meter tall abomination.

His entire body is covered with what at first glance is extreme human musculature, but even an obsessive body builder could never have muscles like that.

They're all off... wrong.

Its arms are too long and each of his joints seems to extend out of his flesh into an obsidian spike. His hands and feet all extend into obsidian claws at the digits.

His torso is too large for his legs, and his arms are too long.

At the top of his torso, he has a stub of a head without a neck.

At the bottom of the head he has a mockery of a mouth... more a hole with teeth than anything... I'm really not sure if he even has jaws to move it with.

Above that he has two, long black horns, extending forward on either side of his eye.

The eye... lidless and glowing red, seems to be looking at everything and nothing at the same time...

I don't understand...

He takes a step and he sets off one of the common anti-tank mines.

He doesn't even react, he just keeps moving forward in a mockery of everything I understand about balance.

He... I don't think he's noticed me yet.

I can still make it out.

I push my vehicle as fast as I can and attempt to steal away around Behemoth's side.

All around me, members of the military, who had been relying on purposefully sabotaged iterations of my stealth technology, continue raining empowered arrows onto Behemoth.

From what I can see, the Freaks are attempting to do the same thing at his other side, and Behemoth seems to be ignoring them as well.

...

I might actually make it.

Behemoth takes another step and detonates another mine.

The sensors on my vehicle tell me the ground is shaking.

I keep driving, I've almost gotten behind him now, just a little bit further and I'll make it out.

He takes another step.

* _Crack*_

Even with every precaution put into this vehicle, I can still feel the explosion of light and power all around us.

We're knocked away from Behemoth's sides and back in front of him.

All the while, lightning washes over our vehicle, but it doesn't get thru.

My precautions have worked so far, but they are only delaying what now seems to be the inevitable.

Behemoth is toying with me. He was allowing me to feel hope before he crushed it.

My vehicle continues rolling, until the balance system I installed brings the wheels back to bear on the ground.

The stealth system held... but I don't know if it even works on Behemoth.

...

Then I detect it.

Seven missiles have been launched.

The seven missiles I was ordered to prepare have been launched.

They'll be here in a matter of moments and I'm still in the blast radius.

I slam my foot on the accelerator, and steer directly back into Yang Ban's territory.

I have to live... I have a bet to win.

...

I'm not going to make it out of the blast radius in time.

...

Even within my vehicle, light and sound wash over me.

My passenger and I are tumbling through the air, with only the roll cage I prepared to protect us as we bounce and skid across the ground.

Piece by piece everything but the vehicle's final defense is lost as we continue skidding across the broken earth.

When my roll cage finally skids to a stop, even its stealth system is damaged.

I survey the land in front of me, and see that much of it has been baked into oblivion just by the heat.

There's a great pillar of fire, nearly two kilometers in front of me.

Something within it moves...

Behemoth.

He steps out of the fire and I see that somehow, the missiles actually managed to damage him.

His body has been melted off at the surface where the missiles struck.

...

And his wounds are visibly healing.

...

I understand now.

The government just wanted to confirm a theory.

Behemoth's invulnerability relies on his ability to detect threats in advance.

They'll no doubt make use of this information after I'm dead.

...

Behemoth steps forward and I leap into action.

I check on the Distributor again.

He's unconscious, but he has no wounds that can't be repaired in Jakarta.

I pull out a cloaked, radiation proof sack and seal him inside before beginning my climb out of the crumpled remnant of this roll cage.

I'm going to live.

I'm going to win.

I open up the emergency hatch and begin to carry my passenger out.

I nearly fall back inside when the ground shatters again.

...

It takes a while to get out of the roll cage, but when I do the world around me is a wasteland, and the Freaks have split off from the Centipede, to meet Behemoth's charge.

Fast!

I never knew Behemoth could move like this.

...

He really was just mocking us the entire time.

The Freaks meet Behemoth's charge, and I begin to sprint as fast as my legs will carry me across the broken landscape with the Distributer over my shoulder.

The sensors on my suit allow me to watch as the Freaks seem to successfully compete with Behemoth for a while.

They allow me to watch the Centipede running to join them.

They allow me to observe when Behemoth butchers them one by one, after he stops toying with them.

They actually manage to gouge out his eye.

...

It doesn't really matter.

Even after Centipede leaps into the hole that Slither left behind, Behemoth barely reacts.

I don't think he was even really blinded.

The flesh grows back, and I can see his terrible eye focus on me, disregarding every precaution I took to conceal myself while I ran desperately for the border.

He takes a step forward... and then falters.

The Freaks corpses start...

Healing?

How? What? There was hardly anything left of them.

But they're still healing...

No they're changing.

In moments, what I thought were remains of the Freaks, are transforming... into three humans...

I keep running, and I watch Behemoth's rip his own head apart, to pull out what I can only assume is the Remains of Centipede.

Did he do that?

I don't think an endbringer has ever been this badly injured before.

Behemoth doesn't seem to care; he reaches out to kill the healing remains of the Freaks...

Then his limbs erupt.

Grotesque red tendrils and black, false centipedes are writhing out of Behemoth's flesh like maggots in rancid meat.

The torso falls down and I keep running.

I'm not really even sure where I'm going anymore.

The headless and limbless torso, of Behemoth falls to the ground, and it also erupts into a mass of pulsating red and squirming black.

Where once the Freak's corpses had been scattered, now there are three humans.

Then they shift, and I instinctively throw myself to the broken ground.

Light and heat wash over, me and I can only hope the shielding I built holds.

When I stand back up, I see a sphere of squirming life floating above the ground.

Is that Centipede?

I pick up my run, and almost get roasted alive by streaks of lightning.

Parts of the flesh are melted off, and for a moment, I see it. Darker than anything I've ever seen before. The light around it is being distorted... like a black hole but solid. Then the flesh covering squirms over the opening again.

The flesh orb rises into the air, and I notice the ground underneath the newly transformed Freaks shifting.

Even with unnatural lightning lancing out around me, I don't hesitate to brace my legs and push off the ground with all the unnatural strength my false legs posses.

I leap nearly five meters into the air, at the same time that the squirming orb crashed down to the earth with enough power to shatter the ground.

I tuck myself around the Distributor and roll when I hit the ground again.

The earth was shattered.

...

The lightning stops.

Something changes.

The orb is just floating in the air right now.

Slowly, the flesh around it is bubbling away.

What?

I... I should be running away, but I find myself moving toward it to get a better look as the black sphere continues to just... float there.

Is this what endbringers really are?

Then new flesh begins to grow back out of orb.

This isn't Centipede's flesh...

An endbringer has never been pushed this far before.

I'm certain that no one has ever seen something like this, but it wasn't enough.

...

I begin to run again, when I see it.

A small sphere has appeared in the rapidly regenerating flesh of Behemoth.

Is that... Centipede's armor?

He's still alive.

...

I should use this as a distraction, but...

I don't understand how, but Centipede pushed an endbringer this far.

He needs to get out of here alive.

I don't know what help I'll be, but I have to try...

If it works out, I might even increase my own chances of escaping with my life.

The Freak's lunge forward in their new transformed states and free Centipede's sphere from its place lodged in Behemoth's regenerating flesh, before knocking the still unresponsive mass away.

They hesitate for a moment, and I make my way to the one who used to be Chitin.

Intelligence suggested it... she was capable of speech.

I move up in front of her and deactivate my stealth field.

"I can cover you with a stealth field if you take me with you."

...

Chitin's head snaps down to stare at me with its glowing yellow eyes, and for the first time I realize that her new body doesn't have a mouth...

She's appears to be a four meter tall suit of blue and white, carapace armor. Her hands and feet are tipped with sharp claws, and her human shaped, armored body is segmented.

The head has no mouth... or nose... or any features aside from the two glowing eyes.

I've seen her take hits from Behemoth's lightning without even reacting...

I do my best not to react when I detect Crag stepping up behind me.

My sensors reveal a vicious looking suit of armor. Something only an evil knight would where in a fairy-tail. He's five meters tall, and covered by jagged plates of... some sort of black metal I've never seen before...

Except for his face... Like a demonic dog, snarling. I can see something like fire light glowing out through the armor's two eye holes, and... His mouth... but I can't make out any details in it...

...

What really concerns me is the third corner of the surround.

I can't see anything. Part of my mind is urgently telling me that there's nothing there... and that if there is something there... I desperately don't want to see it.

Slither.

...

I'm surrounded on three sides by former enemies; I have a child in a tinker sack over my shoulder and no weapons that could possibly face off against people who can survive direct hits from Behemoth.

...

Chitin nods her head, and I feel the earth underneath me change...

The earth underneath us changes.

If my body was biological, I would heave a sigh of relief.

Instead, I reach around my back, and pull out one of my emergency measures.

An emergency stealth unit, in case I needed to change transports.

This definitely qualifies.

I activate the stealth unit, and Crag as already caused us to start moving.

I detect the absence that indicates the presence of the Thing I Must Not See leaning down to the ground next Chitin, who is still cradling what I can only hope is Centipede, and my armor, allows me to see Crag crouching down as the platform we are standing on begins to pick up speed.

...

I made it.

Somehow I'm still alive.

I sit down on the stone platform, and settle the Distributor over my lap.

...

Now I just need to get home and collect my prize.


	35. Dirt Nap

Centipedes Eat Worms 3.1

(Crag's POV)

The longer I used it, the better my control over the earth seemed to get.

Where once I needed to be underground to surpass fifty kilometers an hour, now I was able to reach my optimal travel speed of ninety kilometers an hour above ground.

I could tell I was only scratching the surface.

Yet more evidence that we had been changed.

As I focused on getting us away from the regenerating carcass of that inhuman abomination, I increasingly felt like I was the only one of my companions who was even bothering to consider our changes.

We moved out of range of my ability to detect Behemoth hours ago, and Chitin hasn't done or said anything other than watch... what I hope is Centipede, and keep an eye on the back stabber we escaped with.

Slither has...

I honestly can't tell what she's doing other than that she seems to be staying close to the sphere.

I haven't been able to focus on perceiving her since she shifted into this new form.

The backstabber seems content enough to ride along with us quietly.

It... **Irritates** me that I have to tolerate a traitor in my presence, but I'm pragmatic enough to take any advantage I can get until we can be certain Behemoth won't be catching up to us.

...

Just thinking of that thing makes my blood boil.

...

Heh, I actually have blood now.

I agreed to take Centipede with us because he was useful and I owed him a favor for butchering that master for me.

We owed him enough to take him with us while we avoided the inevitable air strike. I knew that Chitin wanted to add him to our group, but something felt off to me. I intended to put out my opinion that we ditch him as soon as doing so wasn't equivalent to breaking his legs and leaving him in front of the Yang Ban's headquarters. Chitin wouldn't have been happy, but it would be better than having someone who might turn on us around.

I glance at the traitor we are traveling with, and observed that she doesn't seem to be moving... at all. For a moment I considered killing her... No. We have a deal. I'll keep my end, and if my guess is right, she'll never see Slither coming if she tries to turn on us.

I glance at the sphere that Chitin is still cradling. Is that really the kid... or is Chitin... are we just holding onto a false sentiment?

When the kid gave confirmation that he was like us, that he didn't have his memories, I knew that Chitin was both disappointed that only another inhuman monster would tolerate our presence, and hopeful that it would increase our chances of getting a new member of our band.

She made her preliminary recruitment pitch... she had practiced it before, but never tried it out and it showed. Then the kid shifted his body like it was nothing and turned out to be a... a kid. A weird kid, who killed people, and had amnesia..., and wasn't afraid of us. He didn't even seem to think we were strange, let alone threatening.

There's obviously something wrong with him. Not that it mattered.

At that point I knew then that getting rid of him would be impossible. Chitin never would have let me get away with ditching an amnesiac child and I doubt Slither would have been happy about it either. The fact that he wasn't scared of us meant that Chitin at the least would latch onto him to help herself feel human, and Slither would likely do the same just for the opportunity to do something she would consider good.

As for me..., I didn't know why but the kid seemed... familiar. The wavy white hair, the face shape, it seemed like they belonged to an old friend I couldn't remember. When I considered ditching him, the thought made me feel... guilty.

Chitin was shocked at first, and then the kid told us we were human and proved it. When he showed us what he said were our bodies... it... just felt right. Somehow I knew it was really me. Of course I couldn't really see my body at the time, but what I sensed was... familiar.

I was grateful, Slither was happy, but for Chitin, the affirmation that she really was human, it meant... almost everything to her. I didn't really think the kid was like us at this point, but when he asked us to help him find some people he was beginning to remember, the opportunity to get someone in a similar situation's memories back resonated with me.

We set off and I resigned myself to having to keep the kid alive. From the way Slither was acting and Chitin's personality in general, I knew I wouldn't get the chance to raise an arm, before one of them had taken care of anything that might put him in danger.

At the least, having a goal would be better than just moving around aimlessly, until some other government or organization leaks out a fake rumor of a solution to our problems in an attempt to kill or capture us. The last one brought us into China, and that certainly worked out well...

We traveled, and the kid turned out to be tolerable, and much quieter than I would have expected from a child.

The fact that his personality blended well with a band of monstrous para-humans who have been living with their lives divided between crushing isolation, and unprovoked violent assaults for two decades, and who are all more than twice his age, did nothing to dissuade my belief that there was something very wrong with him. Although, it certainly made our journey more enjoyable than any other we've had in years.

The kid also seemed to have a sound understanding of reason and strategy that matched my own, even knowing to back down immediately when Chitin started shouting.I decided I would help him out by giving him advice. Ideally, I would do so when Chitin and Slither weren't around to contradict it, violently.

They were both getting attached, Chitin had someone to talk to who made her feel human, and Slither had someone to watch out for, someone who actually needed her, and apparently was willing to trust her.

Then we got to the border crossing and everything went wrong.

We would have made it eventually, but Behemoth, Really?! Behemoth, showed up, and then locked onto us.

It became apparent that we weren't going to escape, so we made our decision.

We might not be able to bring down an endbringer, but I had no doubt we could hurt one and slow it down. We all decided that the best way to pay our debts to the brat was to make sure he would get out alive.

Then Behemoth tore us apart.

That thing, let us get in some blows at first, but when it tore Chitin in half, I knew it had been playing with us. I was furious, but my rage was impotent. When it wanted to be, that thing was invulnerable, and I'm not exactly subtle.

It crushed me to death, and my world went black.

The next thing I know, I've woken up in the body that the kid was showed me a week ago, and Behemoth is ripping its own head apart.

The stupid kid didn't leave us, he decided to stay and do his best to drag that thing to Hell with him.

And he was winning.

Behemoth lost its arms, its legs, and finally its body was being consumed from the inside.

That kid wasn't just tolerable, he was reliable. He wasn't just a passenger. He was a friend.

I guess my instincts when i saw his true body were right. I must be a good judge of people.

Then what was left of Behemoth went crazy, and the only piece of our new companion we could get back out of the healing monster was a sphere of his carapace that we can only hope somehow has him inside.

...

We've been traveling for half a dozen hours and it has gotten dark. We're in a forest now; if Behemoth can still find us then I doubt we would have been able to run away in the first place.

We've made it into some sort of forest. The trees are getting thicker, and navigating them is becoming more difficult.

This is as good a place as any.

I stop moving quickly enough to jar my passengers, and jerk my head away from our platform.

The backstabber gets the hint. She stands up, retrieves the cloaking device and leaves our platform with her sack without a word.

She does, however, glance at Centipede over her shoulder for a moment. Chitin started shifting her stance, and the armored woman turned and sprinted off into the forest. The moment she was out of sight, she disappeared from my senses completely.

Well, there won't be a better time.

I stood up, and fused the stone platform into the ground.

I haven't done this yet, and I don't know if I can but it's now or never.

I will my body to change, and it does immediately.

In less than a second, my body's entire nature changes, and I feel my sense of smell and touch return to me.

I open my eyes (Eyes!) and feel (Feel!) the moisture in the air and on my feet.

I was right, having senses like this, now that I'm not in a radiation soaked wasteland, feels incredible.

...

I paused and soak up the feeling for a moment...

 ***ahem***

Where did that sound- oh, that was Slither.

She and Chitin are still untransformed, and for some reason, Chitin isn't looking at me.

...

Oh yeah, I'm naked.

...

Eh, whatever.

"I sensed a bunker nearby, it's old and abandoned, but it won't collapse on us any time soon. We should hide there, and then figure out what we'll be doing".

I caught something in the corner of my eye.

Slither had changed back too.

I thought she was on Chitin's other side...

She stretches out for a moment, but snaps out of the immersive new sensations faster than I did. She still had a sense of touch for the last twenty years, so it's not surprising.

"Chitin, can you carry Centipede in your human form?"

Her voice is soft, but strangely commanding... As soon as I get the chance, I'm going to start buying music... Heh, I'll actually be able to buy things now.

Chitin looked back at us and shook her now, mouth-less head back and forth.

I guess she'll have to wait then.

"Follow me, it isn't far."

I began trudging through the forest.

Slither follows close beside me without producing a sound.

* **Snap** *

I glanced back to see Chitin has crushed a branch under her clawed foot.

 ***Screeeape***

I think that was one of her wings carving a furrow into a massive tree trunk. The wings on Chitin's back fold in, and despite the new body shape I can tell she's embarrassed.

I shrug and she begins trudging through the underbrush behind us with Centipede's body still in her arms.

Any hope of being stealthy is gone.

I continue pushing my way through the jungle, dedicating a small portion of my mind to following the path to the bunker's entrance, and allowing the rest of my mind to be immersed in my new senses.

High chirping sounds and low melodious calls from the wildlife, the scent of fresh rain coming from the soil, the feeling of mud and suction on my bare feet as they sank up to my ankles in the ground, and even brief shocks of pain as my bare skin was bitten by insects. Everything is incredible. It's like I'm finally alive for the first time in my memory.

Slither is walking nearby, and I notice that she seems much better at navigating this forest than I am. Her feet always seem to land on branches rocks and leaves, and she avoids getting her feet stuck in the mud. She ducks and weaves her way through the trees and the undergrowth like it's nothing.

* **Snap**!* * **Sclurch**!* * **Crunch**!*

I can't really blame Chitin for her lack of subtlety, considering she's still four meters tall...

After something close to five minutes of hiking we finally reach our destination, and I stop for a moment.

Chitin shifts from foot to foot, still trying not to look at the naked bodies of Slither and I.

I start to move toward where I'm reasonably certain the entrance to the bunker is, but Slither steps in front of me, and starts tearing away at the underbrush next to the tree.

She tosses it away, and crouches down before digging her fingers into the dirt and beginning to stand back up.

She pulls up a trap door, and at least five centimeters of dirt and rotten plant matter with it, revealing a dark tunnel before tossing the rusty sheet of metal away. She's definitely done something like this before.

She blows some of her dark and strangely purple tinged hair out of her face for a moment, before finally grabbing it and tossing it over her shoulder.

"Chitin, you need to change back. We'll carry Centipede together."

Chitin makes eye contact and then gently places Centipede's sphere on the ground next to Slither and I.

Then her she stands up awkwardly for a moment, before clenching her clawed fists.

It's like there's nothing in between the forms. One moment she's towering over us as a living suit of winged carapace armor, the next I'm looking at a naked woman with toffee skin, slightly shorter than I am.

She pauses and seems to soak up the sensations of a body that can feel.

Slither and I give her a few minutes before a breeze makes its way through the trees.

Chitin shivers, and then she freezes.

I guess she finally realized that she's naked.

I can see color flood into her face, and then she desperately attempts to preserve her modesty with her arms.

...

Yeah, I think I'll leave her to that.

I crouch down in front of Centipedes sphere with my back turned to it, and Slither follows my lead by preparing to lift it from the other side.

We lift, and begin carrying the sphere into the unlit bunker.

It weighs something close to two hundred kilograms, but between Slither and I that's not so bad.

The entrance is barely large enough for us to get the sphere into. I'm glad that it's really closer to one and a half meters than two because otherwise there's no way the tunnel would be wide enough.

We continue walking down into the tunnel, and soon I can't see a thing.

"Ffffff..."

My foot strikes something solid, and I restrain my urge to shout a curse thanks to decades of being unable to.

I continue leading us through the bunker along a route that I planned out before I dropped my... changer form, along with its ability to sense the earth.

Finally, I reach our destination.

It's a bunk room.

I crouch down, and Slither and I set Centipede down on the floor.

This room is nothing fancy, but... Yes, I find some synthetic hammocks hanging from the walls. We can sleep here.

Sleep. I haven't experienced it at any point in my memory, but somehow, I know that I need it now.

We fought Behemoth, and escaped with our lives.

If I was going to have any problems in my first attempt at sleep, the exhaustion I feel now has crushed them.

My body knows what to do.

"We can figure out everything else tomorrow. I'm going to sleep"

With that, I climbed into one of the hammocks I felt earlier, and let my eyes slam shut.

In a just a few moments I feel myself drifting into unconsciousness. I can't remember ever experiencing this before, but somehow I've longed for it since the day I first woke up in my monstrous body, my old body.

My thoughts slow, and I finally slip into blissful-

*Snap*

I'm jarred out of my sleep by the hard impact of the bunker's floor against my back, as the hammock breaks and drops me on the ground.

...

Laughter, from two voices...

Those little...

I take a deep breath.

The hammocks were apparently not built for bulky two meter tall men.

Screw it.

I flop down on the ground and roll onto my side.

I don't even care anymore.

I'm sleeping in the dirt.


	36. (Interlude) A Reason

Centipedes Eat Worms

(Slither's POV)

My first memory is pain.

I awakened in the middle of a city, Prague I later discovered, with someone attacking me.

I tried to open my eyes to get my bearings.

It was then I realized I didn't have eyes.

Someone blinded me!

I attempted to grind my teeth, a habit from somewhere I don't remember.

It was then I discovered I didn't have a mouth.

Pain again... but less.

Where is it coming from?

I felt tendrils all over my... legless body twitch, and the world around me came into focus.

A city, everything seems so small. No. I'm just very large.

There were two other figures next to me, close to my own size.

One was a hexapedal insect of some sort, with two large claws extending from a semi-human torso.

The other was a strange, hulking entity, whose body seemed to be both in constant motion, and constantly still.

It was heat, I soon realized.

Pain again, this time it was only a pinprick.

I sensed the many figures around us hovering through the air, and dancing about in front of what seems to be a crowd of onlookers...

The way they're moving is ridiculous...

Are they... showing off?

They lunged at the hexapedal individual next to me, and I felt his hide dent.

" _ **Ow... Why are you attacking me? What's going on? Who are you? Who am I?"**_

Then it was rapidly restored like nothing had happened as the figure stepped forward, and began asking questions in English, in an increasingly panicked, rasping voice.

I heard people shouting again... in German I think, then the crowd started screaming and running away, as the swooping and dancing figures around us attempted to show off by choosing another target.

One of the flyers swooped down and punched the warm one's head. Like an idiot.

The head was one of the warmest parts, and I felt the flyer's first heat up with contact and be dispersed.

It was incinerated.

The flyer reared back screaming, and the rest of the showboating imbeciles around us began shouting loader in what I'm now certain is German.

The warm one took a step forward, and I felt the ground shatter under him, and ripple out around us.

The hexapedal one and I were barely affected, but all of the figures around us who didn't jump were knocked to the ground.

The hexapedal one stepped forward and starting speaking in a frantic rasping tone which the people around us seemed to ignore before they began shouting... and posing dramatically?

They kept attacking, ineffectually, and I felt more people moving toward us. Heavy Vehicles, marching feet, and a few more people who were flying somehow began surging closer.

I don't know what's going on, but I doubt we'll find out from these imbeciles here.

I decide to move, and only then do I truly understand my body.

I'm long and legless, four scythe like arms extend from an inhuman torso, and I feel small tendrils and tentacles twitching and sensing all over my body.

I'm a completely inhuman monster, and I feel everything around me whether I touch it or not.

...

I barely manage to maintain control of myself.

Is this some sort of punishment?

Somehow, I feel like I deserve this.

I find myself considering just staying here and allowing the fools who are still pointlessly attacking me and the two next to me to continue their attempts.

Then I feel a great tremor.

The streets around us shatter, and the warm one begins lumbering forward far faster than I would expect possible.

The show boating figures around us have all retreated, and the crowds are gone.

I feel the motion in the air when the hexapedal one lets out a quiet rasp in English.

" _ **Maybe... we should just go lay low somewhere for a while... W wait for people to calm down..."**_

The voice's head stirred the air as it turned to glance at me, and I decided I might as well follow them. Wait until I can get my head on straight.

My body moved by reflex, and I found myself... slithering after the other two.

I guess inhuman freaks should stay together.

They didn't calm down.

They never calmed down.

Day and night we were hunted.

Sometimes the people who attacked us changed, their appearance and their languages, but it was always the same actions.

Angry words and reasonless assaults.

On the rare occasions when were able to rest, we quickly realized that none of us could actually sleep.

Yet another thing that felt wrong.

Another curse piled on our heads.

After the first few weeks we discovered we had been named.

Chitin was the name chosen for the hexapedal one.

Crag was the warm one.

They called me Slither.

I concluded that they were very uncreative.

Chitin did most... all of the talking in our group, but she was able to figure out ways for us to communicate.

When she was mumbling to herself she tended to speak English, but she was also able to speak in German, which he somehow discovered was Crag's language, and Spanish, which made me feel more comfortable.

Neither Crag, nor I was able to speak, but we could still understand her speech in various ways.

I could feel the changes in the air, and Crag had a detailed perception of anything that touched the ground.

In turn, Chitin figured out a way for us to communicate back.

Morse Code.

If Chitin wasn't so persistent about trying to communicate I never would have tried using it, and Crag needed to be taught.

It quickly became apparent that Chitin didn't... fit the mold that Crag and I set.

We were loners... killers. I could see it in the way Crag moved, and I felt it myself.

Chitin was... different.

Even though we had lost our memories, both Crag and I were used to this.

The fear people showed when they saw us, the constant violence. It was familiar to me, and somehow I could tell Crag was used to it as well.

Chitin wasn't like us.

The fact that it was like this, constantly, now was warring Crag and I down.

It was destroying Chitin.

She was so desperate for someone, anyone to talk to, for anyone to treat his as something other than a monster that she kept trying to connect with Crag and I no matter how many times we rebuffed her.

For all that she was unused to the hate and violence surrounding us, she was stubborn, and neither Crag nor I had anywhere else to go, so we ended up traveling together.

For years, we didn't eat, we didn't drink, and we didn't sleep.

The days blended together, and somehow, we grew attached to each other.

Crag and I did all the fighting when we were attacked, and Chitin would usually just take hits for us when necessary.

She was essentially invulnerable, but he didn't have the heart for violence.

Time passed and the attacks seemed to patter off.

I had stolen a large radio for Chitin a week ago, and we were all lying low while Chitin listened to it.

The Chitin lunged up, and started skittering around the cave like an excited child.

" _ **Did you hear that?! Oh... ah, I guess you didn't... A research center, for people like us! They've made a break through. The radio said they managed to restore a monster para-human to a semi-human state. The patient even regained some of their memories!"**_

It sounds too good to be true, and I say as much.

Chitin doesn't care. She pushes for us to go try for weeks.

Months.

She never stops pushing, never stops hoping.

The radio apparently broadcast more results, and even testimonials from the successful patients.

Crag and I finally gave, and we made our way to the facility out in the Black Forest.

...

...

It has taken us several days, but we've finally made it to supposed location of the research facility.

We had been traveling underground, a new style of movement that Crag has been developing to take advantage of his terra-kinesis.

Traveling though the forest had been challenging because of the necessity of avoiding the forest's root systems, but we managed.

Chitin had requested earlier that we approach the facility on foot, to avoid intimidating the staff, so we emerged on a well maintained dirt road a few kilometers away from what Crag believed to be its position.

We rise out of the ground and we are immersed in darkness. I can't feel anything more than the radiance from the stars... no moon tonight.

The forest around us is tall, thick and dead. A dusting of snow covers the ground, and the tree branches have been decorated by a light frosting of ice.

We start moving.

Chitin is nervous, but hopeful. He's mumbling to himself in English again, but I tuned him out. His footsteps don't falter, but his sharp feet still effortlessly tear small furrows in the dirt road, without him noticing, as a consequence of his distracting emotions.

Crag seems irritated, and weary. He resents needing to walk with his body's disproportionately small legs, and feels vulnerable because of his lack of mobility. The slight increase from his usual temperature is more than enough for me to read his moods after close to a decade of working together.

I'm making an effort to keep my body language suppressed, although it's doubtful anyone other than my companions would have understood it anyway. I'm stretching my sense of touch as far as I can. My tendrils are twitching all across my back... I suppose I'm nervous as well.

To some degree or another, we all suspect a trap, but... if this works out... maybe we could still be human?

We walk for close to an hour before we finally reach the facility.

A clearing opens in the dead woods, and the facility comes into view.

The dirt road winds into a gap in a tall spindly hedge that separates the clearing from the forest.

We enter the clearing, and make our way onto a wide, snow covered lawn.

The dirt road winds off to the side of the clearing, and I finally begin to feel the buildings.

A five story, horseshoe shaped building rises in the center of the clearing, and we continue over the lawn into the gap between its arms.

As we draw closer, I observe multiple well maintained walkways running about the clearing, and I can feel light from a few lamp posts that must be illuminating them.

The buildings themselves seem to be made up out of well maintained brink, and I can sense vines... ivy, growing up along the walls.

If it was summer, and I could actually see, I have no doubt it would be beautiful.

We finally arrive in the center out the horseshoe shaped building, and we stop.

...

" _ **Umm... I didn't think it would be night when we got here... I... have no idea what to do..."**_

Chitin is unconsciously shuffling his feet again, and in the process tearing deep furrows into the ground.

" _ **I thought there would be someone here... do you think... maybe we should knock...?"**_

I can feel heat begin to emanate from Crag's eyes as he proceeds to begin flashing out his opinion.

I*stop*C*O*D* stop *N*O*K* stop *A*L*R*I*T*stop

... We've been working on his English spelling...

"Guten abend Freunde."

?!

There's someone directly in front of us. I didn't feel him approach at all...

He's a man, in good shape, and dressed in a nice suit... silk?

I can't feel anyone else nearby, but does that really mean anything?

Chitin is as stunned as I am, but he perks up and responds quickly.

" _ **Oh... ah... Hallo Sir. Wir... Wir haben gehort, uber die Forschung in dieser Anlage durchgefurt, und wir mochten... wir wurden gerne anfordern... C... Konnen Sie uns helfen?"**_

They're speaking German... Not a language I have much experience with, despite my time with Crag, and it's too dissimilar to the Latin based languages I grew up with for me to easily understand.

From the increasing temperature coming from Crag, he's listening intently...

I feel a smile grow on the man's face... I think he might have been tall if we were human, but as we are, everyone's height seems juvenile.

"Natürlich werden wir Ihnen helfen. Es ist unsere heilige Pflicht , nachdem alle. Bitte erlauben Sie mir , mich vorzustellen. Mein Name ist Magnus . Ich führe dieses kleine Heiligtum , um Menschen wie Sie gewidmet. Leute wie wir. Willkommen in der Gesellschaft ."

...

I didn't understand most of that... but the last word was clear enough.

The Gesellschaft, they're a radical group of White Supremacists that has somehow managed to burrow itself deep into the breadth of Europe's Underworld.

What do they want with us?

The greater length of my body begins moving in closer to my torso, and my tentacles tremor as I tense with the news.

I feel Crag take a step forward, and I feel a rapid series of temperature fluctuations from his face. I can't understand German well enough to figure out what he's saying, but he's obviously no happier about this surprise than I am...

" _ **W w wait Crag! Sie nicht alles ten, Hautausschlag! Beruhige dich! Bitte... lass uns wenigstens horen, wie er zuerst... bitte..."**_

The speaker, Magnus, seems surprised by Crag and Slither for a few moments, then his smile begin's to ease back onto his face. He seems pleased, no doubt happy that my companion's knowledge of German means they are part of his "master race".

Chitin's legs are shuffling desperately, carelessly tearing the frozen ground apart like it's made of water. He's staring at Crag and wrapping his arms around his chest, with his face tilted down... he really is desperate...

Crag's temperature lowers gradually, until it gives a quick fluctuation, Crag's version of a sigh, and then stays constant.

He lets out a series of heat fluctuations, much slower this time. They're still speaking in German...

Chitin's head come back up, and his shuffling slows.

"Crag ... Danke ... Ah ... Magnus ... Mr Freund Crag will wissen, ... C Können Sie uns erklären , was Sie ... Er will wissen, warum Sie mit uns umgehen würde . Wir wissen nicht einmal, ob wir wirklich menschliche ... Wir haben wahrscheinlich nicht in Ihre ... fit " Menschen ... " ..."

I'm not sure what he said, but Chitin sounded... warnout toward the end...

Magnus's smile burst back onto his face with force.

"Nun, natürlich sind Sie ein Teil meiner Leute . Ob Sie sind Aryan ist irrelevant. Auch die niederen Rassen kann aufsteigen , und dies ist das Zeitalter der Menschheit Aufstieg. Sie haben von was auch immer Sie in etwas waren, bevor aufgefahren . Die wahre Herrenrasse . Mehr als ein Mensch! Schau dich an! Mit Ihrer Leistung, die Sie abgesehen von den Schwachen dieser Welt geschlagen haben und ging über diesen Kontinent ungestraft ! Ihre Macht ist mehr als genug Beweis, dass Sie mein Volk!"

Chitin didn't seem any more comfortable with what he just heard, but...

He's desperate... I can see it now. For years it's been building up in him; a thirst, a consuming need to be accepted. To not be seen as a monster. Crag and I had accepted it in our own way, but Chitin was being hollowed out. He would give anything...

Crag's eye's flash in slow pattern once more.

Chitin's fidgeting intensified, and his arms crossed again, with one claw clamping down on the opposite arm hard enough that I thought I could hear it grinding against his armor.

He refused to raise his face and continued looking at the ground that his shuffling legs were still casually tearing apart while he spoke in a rasping whisper.

" _ **Mein... mien Freund fragen... Haben Sie wirklich ein Heilmittel?"**_

Magnus' face schooled itself into something befitting surprise... His heart beat didn't match it.

"Weiter. Sie brauchen nicht eine Heilung. Du bist perfekt, wie du bist . Wir sind mehr als ein Mensch. Wir sind Gottes unter den Insekten . Die sinnlosen Bindungen dieser korrupten Gesellschaft, die schwachen sniveling Massen, die befürchten, angegriffen und du , weil sie nicht in der Nähe Ihres Herrlichkeit kommen , sind sie diejenigen, die geheilt werden müssen. Schließe dich mir an. Begleiten Sie uns! Niemand wird jemals schauen auf Sie für Ihre Auftritte hier. Wir alle verstehen, die Wahrheit . Ihre Körper sind nicht ungeheuerlich, sie göttlich sind!"

 ***Screech***

Chitin started unconsciously wrenching his claw over his carapace while he listened.

Magnus expression softened, and he spoke with a gentle voice...

His heartbeat didn't change.

"Sie müssen nicht , so zu leben . Laufen ständig , versteckt in Höhlen , wobei ohne Grund angegriffen. Bleib bei uns. Sie haben noch nicht einmal , um die Gesselschaft beizutreten. Ich will dir helfen. Wir Menschen sind para- Familie. Bleib bei uns, und in Frieden leben . Sie müssen nicht , um für uns zu ändern. Wir haben Sie bereits akzeptiert ."

Crag translated everything into English for me by changing the heat on his arm periodically. His outline of the conversation is enough for me, despite the spelling issues.

Crag's eye's flash, and I move beside him.

It isn't worth it. Neither of us trusts Magnus.

Crag sees this for what it is. A recruitment attempt and he has no intention of subordinating himself to the Gesselschaft.

Magnus 'speech was despicable to me. This body isn't a blessing. It's a curse, and anyone who thinks' I'm superior because of it is twisted and wrong.

I won't say that. I keep silent for Chitin's sake, but I can't work with these people. I could never atone for the sins I committed to deserve this form that way.

* **SCRAPE***

Chitin looks torn. His body is carelessly tearing the ground apart as it displays all of the fierce insecurity he feels here.

He speaks to us again; in English.

" _ **Crag... Slither... I..."**_

* **SCRAPE***

He can't continue speaking. His voice is being overwhelmed by fear, shame and desperation. He won't even look at us.

He doesn't need to finish.

Neither Crag nor I are normally tactile people... but this is no time to hold back. We move next to Chitin on either side of her and bump her shourders with our own.

Chitin is jarred out of his self-recriminations and he tilts his head up just enough to see us from the corner of his eyes.

We understand.

Chitin isn't like us.

He can't live like we are.

He needs this.

At least we know that they can't force Chitin to do anyything. Chitin is indestructable, no one has ever managed to force him to fight.

Chitin isn't like us.

He's a good person, and he won't use his powers to hurt the innocent.

I tap out my own message against Chitin's carapace with one of my arms.

I*T*'*s* stop O*K*A*Y* stop C*H*I*T*I*N* stop . stop W*E* stop U*N*D*E*R*S*T*A*N*D* stop . I*F* stop Y*O*U* stop E*V*E*R* stop N*E*E*D* stop U*S*,* stop W*E* stop A*R*E* stop E*A*S*Y* stop T*O* stop F*I*N*D*.* stop

G*O*O*D*B*Y*E* stop C*H*I*T*I*N*.*

...

Chitin's freezes for a moment, and then he nods his head slowly.

A wisper.

I can barely feel it.

" _ **Thank you Crag, Slither; for everything."**_

We bump up against Chitin one more time, and then Crag's eyes flash toward Magnus again, while I allow my tenticles to flare.

The messege doesn't need translation, mess with our friend and we'll be back.

Without Chitin we would have split up at the begining. Without him we might still split up, it's the least we can do for him. He's not like us.

Crag and I turn and begin making our way back toward the entrance of the facility.

We've moved a few meters when I feel Magnus' face shift into one of concern.

 _His heartbeat indicates irritation._

He speaks again; in English this time.

"Is there any way I could persude you to reconsider. Just give us a chance, that's all I ask."

Neither Crag, nor I pay him any mind. We've accepted that Chitin needs this, but neither of us likes Magnus any more for it.

"We can't allow the secret of this place to get out, if we did, the same people who have been hunting you will come after us. Not everyone is invincible, if you leave the information will get out and innocent people will die."

Of course he would pull something like this. I don't bother pointing out that we found out about this place from a radio, they obviously targeted us somehow, he understood how to appeal to Chitin to well not to have been prepared in advance.

Crag and I don't stop walking, Crag flashed off a quick pattern of light through the back of his molton head.

W*E* stop W*O*N*'*T* stop T*E*L*L.* stop

Magnus voice is saturated with friendly concern now. I feel one of his hands reach behind his back and push a button.

"You must understand, we can't afford to take that risk. Please, you don't have to join us, just stay here with your friend. I can already tell it misses you."

It...

That's what he really thinks about us.

We're "its" to him.

Two of my tenticles snap again each other.

N*O*.*

Crag and I keep walking.

Magnus' hand releases the button.

"I'm sorry, but that isn't an option."

Space warps and the hedge disappears as tall dark trees are suddenly surrounding us.

Branches begin scraping at us, and tree trunks appear to wall off our path.

He's a shaker; a powerful shaker.

Suddenly we're surrounded.

On our right side is a tall man wearing metal armor, a beard... and a crown, shimmers out of the forest on the edge of my awareness, with two metal armored young adults next to him.

On our left is a man, more than two meters tall and broader than most... He doesn't seem to be wearing a shirt. Next to him is an averagely proportioned man with short hair, wearing what seems to be a military officer's uniform.

Behind us are Chitin and Magnus.

Chitin has frozen up completely. He's absolutely horrified...

Magnus voice calls out again, soothing and laced with concern.

 _Heatbeat... smug_

"Please understand, we have many non-combatants here, we can't take the risk. Is there any way we could make you reconsider?"

He already knows the answer.

Crag swings a fist at one of the trees in our way and it shatters and begins to topple, before disappearing and being replaced.

I feel the gas around us shift and change for an instant, and then my sense of touch is blurred out as Crag and I are wreathed in flames.

I feel the ground shake as Crag' slams his arms down and shatters the earth around us while kicking up a cloud of thick dust.

My body heals its burns and adapts beyond the power of the flames rapidly, and my senses return just in time for me to sense hundreds of metal blades snapping through the air before they impale my entire body.

I feel a shape like the bulky man, appear behind Crag, covered in crackling electricity, and resonating heat into the air.

The shape winds up and kicks Crag's left leg out from under him, while melting and fusing it into the wrong shape.

 ***scrape***

Even so, my body adapts and heals. The blades are being driven back out of my body, and beginning to fail to penetrate as they continue raining down, and the snapping fires that blinded me at first, no longer have hold over me.

I feel stone spears erupt from the ground all around Crag, as he plants his ruined leg in the earth and it begins to repair itself.

The iron rain seems to be losing its effect, and the blades impaling my body, are nearly out.

I begin to shift my body to put on a burst of speed; it's time for me to strike back as well.

Then the blades riddling my body erupt and blossom into hocks and spurs, further spreading their way into my body, and nailing me to the ground.

Absently, I note that the lightning man moved out of the way before Crag's pillars could kill him.

The lightning man appears behind Crag again, and kicks out his good leg, leaving it ruined like its twin.

Crag collapses to his twisted knees and braces himself with his long arms. Planting the tips of his clawed fingered into the ground.

My body twitches briefly, as the blades continue twisting through my flesh, carefully avoiding my head and torso, which they likely believe are vital.

They're trying to bring us down non-lethally.

 ***scrape***

Magnus calls out to us again, his voice heavy with regret and resignation.

 _His heartbeat fluttering with satisfaction and pride._

"I'm sorry it came to this my friends. Please, let's stop this pointless conflict. We have many skilled physicians who can see to your wounds, we know you have some limited regenerative abilities, but there's no need to rely on them. You can rely on us instead. Please, don't make us fight you."

...

He thinks he's won...

He couldn't be more wrong.

The earth Crag has been manipulating since he planted his claws is finished; I feel its vibrations and make my own move at the same time.

The earth below the metal wearing trio opens up with no warning.

The young man and the bearded man, react quickly, and metal blades erupt from their armor to stop their fall.

The female isn't quick enough, she slips into the earth beneath her, and the ground slams shut, crushing her like a walnut.

The blades in my flesh stop shifting, and my body suddenly propels them out of itself.

I reach out for the fading feeling and let the world fall away around me, as I rush toward Crag.

Distantly, I'm aware, that the remaining metal wearers have both been grazed by stone pillars, and retreated into the embrace of the forest; a forest that I can now feel clearly.

Its twists, distortions and warps all feel natural to me now.

Just as I expected, the lightning man has burst back into place behind Crag, rearing back his leg to kick one of Crag's arms at the shoulder.

I'm already there, unseen and unexpected.

My arms scythe down before the lightning man can strike again.

My blades are momentarily stopped by the lightning, charring and fraying, but they still make it through and bite deeply through his waist and shoulders.

I feel the gurgling scream bubble out of his mouth, in the same moment that an explosive burst of flames rips his still sparking body off my blades, and propel him into the embrace of the forest.

The fire user in the uniform is already running into the trees, and be barely makes it into their embrace before an earthen spine tears off one of his feet.

My body is nearly recovered, and Crag's legs have repaired themselves well enough for him to walk again.

We turn back to Magnus, and Chitin, and begin moving back toward Magnus threateningly.

 _ ***scrape***_

Chitin looks shocked, and he still won't raise his head, as his claw continues tearing at his carapace covered arm.

Magnus retreats for several meters, back toward the building, and Crag and I follow him, passing by Chitin who still seems paralyzed by the situation. He's trapped by the need to Choose between escaping our hellish existence, and turning against us.

We won't allow them to force him to make that choice.

Crag and I motion toward the forest that is still being twisted to prevent us from leaving, and the instructions are clear.

Let us leave, or else.

Magnus turns back and lets his true expression touch his face for the first time since we met him.

His face is neutral... bored, with a disdainful light in his eyes.

"I won't allow you to endanger this sanctuary. You aren't going anywhere. Erlkönig, komm her und siehen Sie lhr Gewicht du dummer Köter."

Only now do I feel the new presence, leaning lazily against one of the facilities walls.

A man, dressed plainly. He's wearing cheap, simple clothes, and I could feel a distortion on one of his arms. A tattoo... Swiss.

The man chuckles to himself, and pushes off the wall, before he begins walking toward us.

His voice echoes out, mocking and flippant.

"Ja ja, mein Führer."

I don't know what they think this man can do, but I'm not taking any chances. I fade again, and begin rushing forward to eliminate the new threat standing between me, and the man keeping us here.

Erlkönig, doesn't seem bothered at all, his eyes just seem to casually survey the area in front of him.

They're blue with... something further in that I don't want to focus on...

I've finally gotten in range to strike down Erlkönig when I realize that I somehow perceived his eyes with a color.

My arms lance forward, and Erlkönig suddenly speeds up... No, it's more like the rest of the world slowed down around him.

Blades hit nothing but air, and then I feel them break, as they are shattered by four strikes that seemed to occur simultaneously.

I try to whip my tail around myself to earn some room, while my arms heal, only to feel it go dead one segment at a time until all that was left was my torso.

I... I don't understand how this is happening, but my body will adapt. They're still trying to take us alive, and that will be their last mistake.

...

...

I'm... not healing.

My torso falls, with my featureless face the first to the ground, I finally notice that my body isn't responding to me.

It's like every cell in my body, where I have been struck, has been pushed to the edge of death. Leaving the parts unresponsive, but also leaving no room for my body to heal itself...

* **scrape***

Earth spears erupt from the ground around me, and Crag charges forward to cover me from further assault.

Erlkönig blurs out of their reach and instead stands on the back of my head.

I attempt to grasp his feet with my tentacles, but they join my arms and lower body in a semi-dead state after a series of rapid movements of his foot.

 ***SCRape***

He stands there on top of me like I'm just a stool and Crag finally gets close enough to take a swing at him.

Erlkönig makes a show of shifting his body to block the blow that will likely liquefy his upper body, and then he slows down the world again.

When I finally feel him again, he's standing behind Crag, and chuckling, while Crag falls forward beside me with one of his legs crumbling.

Crag falls forward... and his arms plunge into the ground.

The earth shatters, and with it a large portion of one of the sides of the facility.

I feel fire's beginning to spark, and people screaming.

All around Crag, except for the earth around Chitin's still rapidly twitching form, and my own prone body, the earth cracks open and stone spears erupt and branch off, producing a forest of razor sharp stone.

*Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!*

Erlkönig just continues to laugh as he dodges and weaves through the stone forest like it's nothing.

Then he disappears, and Crag's arms and legs begin to crumble into dirt.

When I can finally detect Erlkönig again, he's crouching on my back, with hands gently caressing my flesh.

Crag's eye's burn hatefully but he gets the message. If he doesn't stop, Erlkönig will finish what he started.

 ***SCRAPE***

Chitin... He shouldn't have to see this, it was bound to happen eventually, but I feel ashamed that we will likely ruin his chance of finding peace here, however artificial it may have been.

Magnus fades back into view, from a patch of trees that seemed to have shifted in front of the facility's collapsing walls.

His smile is genuine now; genuine and cruel.

"Well then, now that our little squabble has been settled, why don't we start over? My name is Magnus, and I will be your leader. Follow me and you will be cared for. Disobey me, and will discipline you. Do we have an –" ***SCREEEAPE crack!***

Magnus' tirade was interrupted, by the sound of Chitin's claw shattering and tearing off the outer layer of his other arm.

His legs are no longer shuffling, and his wings are twitching sporadically behind him. His face is rising to stare at us slowly.

The tendrils on my face twitch for a moment as I take the scene in, and Erlkönig brutally grinds my face into the ground in retaliation for my movement.

Magnus, stops his lecture, and gives Chitin his full attention, with his sincere smile fully back in place.

"Oh! Where are my manners? I spent so much time cleaning up problems with the riff raff, that I nearly stopped paying attention to our honored guest. Come Chitin! Let me show you your new family, while Erlkönig deals with people more like himself..."

He trails off and allows a distasteful grimace to flow onto his face.

"Erlkönig , sicherzustellen, dass die Probleme Dissidenten nicht noch mehr Ärger verursachen. Ich werde Chitin , um es der neuen Familie vorstellen ."

Erlkönig barked out a laugh, before turning to face Chitin, who had finally raised his head to stare at us fully, his body still.

"Mit uns für weniger als einen Tag und Führer ist bereits aorund bestellen Sie wie ein Hund. Du bist wirklich ein Teil dieser Familie."

Chitin remains still and seems to ignore, whatever is was that Erlkönig was saying.

Then his head twitches to observe a mist... No. A fog seeping out around the trees that are sealing the wall Crag had shattered earlier.

The trees become undetectable for a moment, and then I feel the vibrations of them being shattered by something I can't sense.

The fog fades, and I detect two figures sprinting out of it in an attempt to rush through the crumbling stone forest, into the dead winter trees around us.

A boy and girl, wearing blood covered rags, desperately holding each other by the hand as they seek to escape this place.

Magnus sighs and mumbles to himself.

"Undankbar Seeigel."

Then the forest shifts, and a tree appears in front of them with a branch extended to clothesline them. Before that can happen they throw themselves to the ground, avoiding the branch, but losing all their momentum.

Magnus spat on the ground, before glancing at Erlkönig.

"I machen sie zu Göttern und sie versuchen immer noch, zu entkommen. Disziplin ist es dann. Erlkönig , kümmern sich um diese Tiere. alle von ihnen."

Erlkönig rears back to strike me again, to make sure I stay down...

 _ ***ARRRRRRRRGGGGG CHIIIIIIIIIIIIIII SCRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII***_

Then the world is saturated with noise, as three terrible noises simultaneously rang out from Chitin.

For a moment the vibration's deadened my sense of touch on everything apart from the ground and Erlkönig.

I felt him flinch from his stance on top of me.

Then I felt him attempt to jump for some reason, as my sense began to spread again.

I felt it as Chitin rushed forward and shattered his legs. If he didn't jump, Chitin would have smashed his torso instead.

I felt Erlkönig flip through the air and collide with one of the brick walls of the facility.

He stopped moving, and my body's healing snapped back on.

In an instant I was able to move again, and I felt Crag beginning to recover as well.

Then I felt movement again. Magnus...

He was moving toward the entrance to the facility he had covered with his trees, awkwardly making his way through the decaying stone forest Crag had left in place.

I lunged forward, while fading and I could understand.

I felt the outlines of trees attempting to interpose themselves in my path, but I weaved my way through them before they could truly form.

Then I was upon him.

Magnus turned back, to see if he was being followed, and saw no one. Chitin was shaking in place, after making his first kill, and Crag was only just getting back up.

The trees sealing the entrance to the facility moved aside, and Magnus turned back to the entrance, before stalling for a moment.

I took advantage and struck his exposed back.

My blades tore into Magnus' body and ripped him apart.

I allowed myself to fade back into reality, and then I saw what Magnus had paused for.

A boy, probably ten years old, and a small woman, carrying a two year old, with features similar to her own, were standing in the doorway.

They were wearing rags, covered with blood, like the other two children earlier.

They looked injured...

I went to reach out a hand to help them without thinking.

And then the woman flinched away, and the boy interposed himself between us with a determined look on his face, before he grabbed what I assume was his mother's arm and dragged her in a sprint toward the forest without a word.

... I don't have hands to help people. Just blades covered in blood...

I observed the trio fleeing from me at what seemed like a painfully slow pace, and felt Crag and Chitin move next to me.

...

For a moment, the infant's head popped up over his mother's shoulder and he stared at us with wide eyes, and murmured something.

"Awesome... Eifersucht..."

Then he went back to sleep.

I don't think Chitin or Crag heard him, and I wasn't up to asking anymore.

...

We all stood there silently for a little while, and then Crag leaned down and touched the earth, sinking us down into the ground to leave this place, and this memory behind.

...

...

Chitin didn't speak a single word for a year...

...

When she finally spoke again we were hiding together in a cave, somewhere in Ukraine... We didn't really care about national borders by then.

" _ **I'm so sorry."**_

Even with after going a year without using it, her voice was still the same quiet rasp she used before.

We knew what she needed from us. We moved beside her like we had just once so many days ago.

We both moved next to her, and bumped our shoulders against hers.

W*E*L*C*O*M*E* stop B*A*C*K*.* stop

That didn't really fix everything. We had all been changed by what happened.

Chitin was terrified of losing what few companions she already had.

Crag was even less trusting of outsiders than he was before.

I had finally concluded that I wouldn't be allowed to atone for the evil deeds that earned me this body.

I was cursed to be able to do nothing but feel crawl through this world like a worm, and kill...

...

Or at least... that's what I used to think.

Then... it happened for a second time.

Years had passed, and the attacks slowed, but never really stopped. By chance... or more likely, by Yang Ban scheme, we heard a rumor

It was said there was a para-human in China who could siphon off powers and distribute them to other people... Our bodies were powers of a sort, so we sought him out in hopes that we could have our curses taken.

This time we all agreed together to give it a try. It wouldn't be like the last time, we wouldn't abandon each other, and as long as we were together, no one could strike us down.

The next thing I know were being attacked, by the military, and black ops groups constantly. They were like water, yielding when we struck back, but never really being damaged.

At the same time, we were being exhausted. We didn't need to sleep, but mental exhaustion was still a threat, and the Yang Ban seemed intent and capable of using it to grind us down.

Soon enough, we were trapped in their territory, and they were somehow able to track us wherever we hid.

Then it happened. We were caught, about to be enslaved.

Not only was I cursed to be a monster, but I was to be forced to kill for some power hungry empire.

It was over, we were already being enthralled.

Then some monster erupted from the ground and killed the master with no previous indication of his presence.

We escaped, thanks to him and brought him with us, I was willing enough to take him with us, and freaks should stay together after all...

Then... he took off his armor.

A child.

A familiar child.

He looked exactly like that boy from all those years ago.

Maybe a little shorter, but everyone is so small that it hardly matters.

I was terrified.

Did I really need to be reminded I'm a monster again?

Did I really need to see the terror, and determination to defend against me in that boy's face again?

...

I remembered him enough on my own...

...

I was so caught up in my memories that I missed almost everything he and Chitin were talking about.

...

I heard the end.

...

Us?

Human, and he's offering to prove it?

...

This is cruel...

I... I won't make Crag and Chitin face this pain.

The boy was obviously meant as a punishment for me.

I volunteered to go first.

Tentatively, I moved toward the child from years ago.

I braced myself... To hear him say what I had seen before.

I was ready for him to call me a monster... Still, I couldn't bring myself to let him see the blades I had for arms.

I hid the proof that I was nothing but a killer behind my back, and tentatively moved close, prepared for his distain.

...

It didn't happen.

I felt the boy... Centipede, reach out and touch me without fear or hesitation.

He stayed there for what seemed like hours... I still have no idea how long it was.

Then the boy stepped back, and showed me.

It was a woman; tall, strong, with strange, purple tinted hair, round brown eyes and slightly tan skin.

She was beautiful.

Somehow, I knew that she was me...

I couldn't help myself; I reached for the face the boy was showing me.

Slowly, I brought my tail up to touch my face. I was certain, the boy wearing my face would recoil with disgust when I did, but I couldn't help myself.

...

He didn't recoil.

For the first time in twenty years..., I knew I was human.

He showed the others, and I felt joy when they were given the same comfort I received. I knew then that I would protect this child no matter what.

This was a gift.

This was my chance at redemption, a chance that a killer like me didn't deserve, but was indescribably grateful for.

I knew that the child wouldn't be able to trust me because of my body, but I resolved to watch over him anyway.

...

Then he walked up to my body, leaned back against me and went to sleep.

No fear at all.

I wasn't just tolerated.

I was accepted.

He trusts me and I haven't even had to do anything yet.

...

No one will ever touch him.

...

Heh... and look at the job I've done so far.

Here we are, sitting in a dark bunker, not even a week after I swore to myself to protect this child, and what happened...

 **WE DONT EVEN KNOW IF HE'S STILL ALIVE!**

I was supposed to protect this child and what happens?!

He ends up like this!

Trapped as a sphere of armor, in what I can only hope is a coma.

He's like this because he was protecting us.

He's like this because I wasn't strong enough.

I clenched my hands so tightly that my finger nails cut into my hands and drew blood.

...

Hands... We don't have proof, but none of us have any doubt.

Centipede somehow saved our lives and gave us back something even more valuable...Our humanity.

I failed him so badly that he might even be dead, and somehow I'm awarded for it?!

NO.

NEVER AGAIN.

Chitin and Crag are sleeping now, but I'm keeping watch.

NEVER AGAIN.

I don't care what I have to do. I won't leave Centipede, and it HAS to be him, unguarded.

I'll rest later; I'll sleep when Chitin or Crag is awake to take my place.

I would prefer to always keep watch myself, but I know that wouldn't be good enough.

I'm human again, and I need rest to perform at my best.

Nothing less than my best is good enough.

Crag and Chitin are reliable, I've traveled with them for twenty years, I know I can trust them.

I have no doubt that in their ways; they feel the same as I do.

I crouch down on my knees with Centipede's shell leaning against me, and watch.

I can do something good.

I can protect something precious, rather than killing pointlessly.

I have a reason to live on.


	37. Wish Granted

Centipedes eat Worms 3.2

(Chitin's POV)

I woke up...

Woke up?

...

I try to look around...

I can't see?!

I jerk in place and feel myself roll and fall.

"Ooph..."

That...

That hurt?

What...?

I still can't see.

I move one of my claws to wipe off my face, and I feel...

A hand, I have a hand?

I touch my face and feel again.

It's soft, but there's nothing covering my eyes, why can't I see?

I feel for my eyes, and find... eyelids?

I have eyelids... and they're closed.

...

I open my eyes and see...

Nothing.

I'm blind?!

I jerk again and scramble on the dirt floor; rolling and skittering over the ground until finally my foot kicks something.

" **Rrrrrrghhhh..."**

"Eeep!"

?!

My voice?

I sound... human.

"What's going on!?"

...

A gruff voice answers me.

"You fell out of a hammock and then kicked me awake to spread your misery. What did you think happened Chitin?! Now shut up! I'm going back to sleep..."

...

Whose voice was that?

What's going on?

I remain perfectly still, sprawled over the floor until I heard footsteps.

" **Gaaa!"**

"Stop winning Crag, we're all awake, so we need to start moving. Chitin, calm down and think back on what you remember happening most recently."

I...

I'm human?

It wasn't a dream...?

I flex my toes and fingers as I remember.

Behemoth.

He had suddenly turned the tide and started beating us down, and then...

He ripped me in half.

...

"...kick me awake will you... You'll get yours Slither, don't forget you need me to navigate out of here..."

...

Crag, that's Crag's human voice.

...

The woman is Slither...

It's true then.

I didn't just lose myself in some fantasy, and I'm still alive.

We're human!

Somehow..., Centipede beat back Behemoth, and we're human!

I move to get up on two feet and I find it comes to me easily.

A new body shouldn't be this easy to control, but it seems like all the muscle memory is already in place...

I still can't see a thing...

Why can't I see anythi-

Oh.

Oh yeah.

Centipede might be dead and we're hiding in a bunker.

...

"Slither... has Centipede...?"

Her voice responded from next to me, and I barely managed to keep myself from jumping when she rested her hand on my shoulder.

"Centipede's sphere contracted slightly over night... it released some heat... He's alive."

I felt my tension drain with the news and despite the fact that I've never heard her speak before yesterday, the relief in Slither's voice is apparent to me as well.

I don't really understand how Centipede's power works... but at least now we have confirmation that we didn't run away with nothing but an empty shell.

"So the kid's still sleeping then. He has the right idea... I guess we'll be carrying him for a while longer."

Crag's deep voice resonated from somewhere over my shoulder, and I found myself envying the confidence he seemed to have that Centipede had been ok... That centipede would be ok...

I rolled over and went to sleep the moment we arrived in this room, but I struggled to fall asleep at all.

... Sleep.

I can't remember sleeping before now... but it felt... strange.

I always thought that being able to sleep would be refreshing and blissful, but I just feel groggy.

It wasn't as though my body had been waiting all these years to sleep; I just hadn't needed it until now.

I find myself contemplating whether this is a bad thing.

...

No, needing to sleep is a small price to pay.

...

"Crag, help me carry Centipede back outside. I found food while the two of you were sleeping, we'll eat in the light."

It's still pitch black, but I manage to follow the sound of their footsteps and somehow I manage to make it back out of the bunker without stubbing my toes.

When we reached the surface I found myself squeezing my eyes closed to block out the sun's glare...

I've... never needed to do that before.

I hear Crag and Slither putting Centipede's sphere down, and my eyes adjust in time for me to see Slither tossing a can at my head.

I snapped my arms up just in time to gracelessly fumble it before managing to clutch it in front of my chest.

It's cold.

...

"I'm still naked..."

I dropped the can, and quickly turned my back on the others, with my face flushed.

...

"I've never needed clothes before..."

Being human again has a lot of complications...

I head a calm woman's voice again, Slither.

"Chitin, we don't have time to go scouting for clothes.. For now, you need to eat."

I felt myself flushing with embarrassment. Not because of my lack of clothing, mostly, but because I was so easily embarrassed in the first place.

We've been traveling together, unclothed, for twenty years, and now I'm suddenly ashamed to be seen by them... what if they think I don't trust them?

What if they think that-

My worries are cut off by a hand clasping my shoulder.

"Its fine Chitin, we'll get ourselves some clothes eventually. An abandoned bunker just isn't the best place to look."

... I... I know I don't really need to worry about this. We're friends. Crag and Slither under-

* **Scree* *Crack* *Pop***

I twist around and see Slither crouching behind me...

She just tore the top off a can of... something, with her bare hands.

"Eat Chitin; we need to keep up our strength."

She handed me the can, and I took it mechanically.

* **Scree* *Crack* *ffff Pop***

"Che!"

I glanced over at Crag, and saw that he had ripped his can clear in half.

Brown chucks, of... whatever this is, had covered his naked torso-... and I'm turning around again.

* **Scree* *Crack* *Pop***

Slither opened another can for herself, and began eating.

I joined in and tasted for the first time I can remember.

!?

I feel like... well I can't actually describe this feeling because I don't remember having a sense of touch...

It's like my tongue is moving involuntarily, and... I don't know...

Then I felt a new sensation.

A series of muscles began triggering down my throat and I heaved.

I barely managed to avoid spitting out the food, before forcing it down...

Eating is terrible.

From the looks of Crag's and Slither's faces, they felt the same way.

I forced down the rest of the can's contents anyway, and then felt a... dryness in my throat.

I'm thirsty!

I stood up and my companions did the same.

Crag wiped his mouth off with the back of his hand.

"I sensed a stream not too far from here last night. Maybe the water will git rid of this taste."

Crag and Chitin lifted up Centipede's now somewhat lighter sphere again, and we followed Crag's lead.

I felt an unsettling tremor in my stomach when we started to walk, but I quickly put it out of my mind.

We made it to the stream fairly quickly, and Crag and Chitin immediately knelt and began scooping up water for themselves after putting down Centipede.

I did the same, and I felt my throat and stomach being soothed.

I felt like my mind was finally clearing, and I was finally coming to terms with my transformation aside from the adrenalin rush I experienced before.

I'm human.

I feel pain, I get tired, and my stomach feels strange when I eat, but for all that, I have what I've wanted for twenty years.

I haven't even lost my powers. I'm different now, but when we faced Behemoth and retrieved Centipede I felt incredible.

Mobility, that's what I had now, where once my wings seemed to be a pointless decoration, now I felt like I could fly effortlessly.

Finally after all these years chasing rumors about anything that could even lessen our condition, we had what we've been searching for dropped in our laps.

He really is just a child, but he was able to rip the flesh off of Behemoth, and somehow, restore us from the brink of death. We never asked him much about his abilities, and he didn't go out of his way to volunteer much information either.

If things had gone the way they should... He never should have needed to use them in the first place. If I had been strong enough to keep my promise he never should have needed to fight again at all...

Still... it worked out well for us.

...

I feel like scum for even thinking that... but I still can't make myself regret what we've gained from this...

I hope he'll forgive me...

Bio-kinesis, that must be what it is. The way his flesh shifted on a whim, the way he tore apart Behemoth from the inside, our restoration, bio-kinesis is the only thing that makes sense.

The potency he displayed is incredible... He fits within our group perfectly. No doubt governments will scramble to get a hold of him if news of his abilities ever gets out.

Everyone, from the North American Protectorate, to the South American narco cartel states, would do anything to gain control of someone with that kind of power.

We need to make sure he doesn't need to use his abilities in a noticeable way...

Like in an endbringer fight...

Close to a potentially volatile border...

Within one of the most tightly controlled and monitored nations in the world...

While being observed y a stealth tinker...

Who we allowed to leave without taking to precautions yesterday...

"SHI-"

I cut myself off and glanced over at Centipede's shell...

I don't know if he can hear us or not, but I shouldn't risk it.

I doubt that Centipede was even over ten years old from the size of him...

...

Not important right now!

I jumped to my feet.

"Crag, Slither, we need to get out of here now! Centipede ripped the hide off an endbringer, and now he isn't even conscious. If anyone is ever going to get control of him, they'll try to get it now, and I have no doubt that the major factions will be finding out what happened soon, if they don't already know."

...

No one's responding.

...

 ***Hurk* *Belch* *Blegh***

I looked over at Slither and saw that she was bent over the stream... vomiting.

...

She was also upstream of Crag and I...

"Slither what are you doing? What's wron- ***Hurk* *Belch* *Blegh*"**

I barely managed to bend over the stream in time when I felt tremors rise all the way up from my stomach to my throat, and I found my body expelling everything I've ever eaten back from whence it came.

...

I was distantly aware of Crag bringing his head back out of the water where he had submerged it, and then leaping back, swiping at his face and sputtering.

...

A few moments passed, and my body finally decided to stop evicting my first meal.

...

"Slither... What the..." I glanced as Centipede's sphere again "heck did you feed us, and where did you get it?"

She too had finished vomiting and had settled back into seiza position.

"They were supposed to be rations... Someone must have been trying to poison the soldiers who used the bunker."

Her voice was perfectly calm and dignified... She still had vomit on her face.

...

"Slither, that bunker is has probably been abandoned for forty years. I know none of us have much experience in this, but not eating food that's older than you is common sense..."

...

Crag walked emerged from the tree line wiping his face off with broad leaves.

"What happened to the two of you? The food tasted like shit, but it wasn't that bad."

My head snapped up and I stared at Crag, he wasn't even pale, it was like eating half decayed food immersed in salt was normal for him.

Slither was on her feet in an instant.

"Watch your tongue Crag! I won't have you corrupting the ears of a child with foul language!"

...

Crag's face twisted and he looked like he would start growling.

"The brat's already desensitized to death and killing, you really thin-

 ***SCRAPE* *CRACK* *CRACK***

Crag trailed off and I darted my eyes around to find the origin of the sound... It's Slither. She's gritting her teeth and cracking her knuckles with so much force that it actually started to drown out Crag's voice.

Crag didn't flinch, but I did see his complexion pale slightly.

He didn't break eye contact with Slither, but when she took a step forward I saw a bead of sweat start to break out on his forehead.

Crag glanced over at Centipede's sphere and his scowl softened.

*sigh* "Fine."

...

Slither nodded stopped producing industrial noise polution, and began to turn back toward me.

"His tongue will probably be polluted enough already if he ever eats anything you give him..."

She whipped back around to glare at Crag in a heartbeat, but he just smirked at her, and started walking back over to Centipede.

"Well, you heard Chitin; we don't have time to waste here. The brat was fine traveling underground with less armor than he has now. Let's get moving."

With that his body shifted and in less than a blink, he was replaced by a five meter tall suit of vicious living armor.

Slither glared at him for a moment, and then I couldn't focus on her apart from a suspicion that she was in the area.

I reached out for my own power and before I could even consider the change, I was in my own empowered form.

Crag and I continued walking toward Centipede, and Slither was apparently nearby considering the sound of the impact when she slapped Crag on the back of the head.

He took a lazy swing toward one side and didn't seem surprised or upset when he hit nothing.

We all gather around Centipede's core and I prepared to wait for Crag to be ready.

Then the ground immediately dropped below us, and shaped over and around us. We were already moving.

Crag started sitting backwards and a stone throne rose out of the ground under him.

He fell back into his chair and lounged.

...

I don't know what to say about this, and thankfully, my new transformed body doesn't have a mouth.

The two weeks has been a blur of new experiences, some pleasant, some less so.

The next time Slither went scouting for food, she came back with an arm load of mangos.

... They were unripe and somehow also infested with worms.

Crag and I came to a Silent agreement that Slither was never to be involved with our food procurement again, and Slither seemed to accept our decision.

Despite the obvious boost in power Crag's terra-kinesis has undergone, he still needed rest, and with the addition of the food, and sleep to the list of necessities, our progress wasn't overwhelmingly faster than is was before.

By the third day of our journey, Slither managed to steal some clothing for us from a nearby town. They didn't fit any of us... at all, but it was better than being naked.

Centipede's still hasn't woken up, even after ten days, but his core has continued shrinking and is now actively warm to the touch.

...

The sphere just keeps getting smaller without giving any other indications... and none of us has any idea what to do.

We're all hoping that it's a good thing; hoping that this is how Centipede is healing, but we have no idea.

I want to take him to a doctor, but...

I glanced over at his sphere, which was now less than a meter and a half in diameter.

Even if we could take him to a doctor, what doctor would know what to do about this?!

The only option would be some sort of parahuman research group, but we've been down that route before, and it never goes where we want it to.

*sigh*

I kneel over and start washing my face in the stream we've stopped by.

We're taking a break somewhere in the mountains, and Crag and Slither are both laying back next to the stream, napping while I keep watch.

...

What are we supposed to do?

Shiro's body is getting smaller, but we still can't blend in with the locals if we need to carry a huge black sphere with us, not even considering that by local standards, all three of our human forms are huge and foreign. So getting a boat legally won't be happening.

At this point, were basically wandering around the mountains, hoping Centipede will get wake up on his own.

...

If nothing changes soon, Slither is probably going to start kidnapping random doctors.

I'm half inclined to help her do it.

...

I splash water in my face, and begin to stand up.

I wish something would just cha-

My body shifts before I even realize anything has happened.

 ***Boom Crack***

I briefly see red light, and then I'm knocked back into the air.

I don't even need to think before my wings start beating, and my momentum is halted and reversed.

I slam down into the ground in front of Centipede, and Crag has already shifted and moved to a position next to me.

I've lost track of Slither.

...

Red light shines over us.

 ***Crack***

It's blinding, but I don't flinch. The eyes of my transformed state can't close anyway.

The light doesn't dim, but my eyes adjust.

There are two figures on the other side of the stream, six meters tall, and completely shrouded with red light.

One of them steps forward, and I observe that they seem to have four arms.

It curls one of the top arms and clenches the outline if its hand into a fist, while the two lower arms bend to grasp the crimson shape's hips.

Finally, its last arm rises up, and points at us, dramatically.

...

" **WHAT HAVE YOU FREAKS DONE WITH MY MINION?!"**


	38. A Mistake

Centipedes Eat Worms 3.3

Where am I?  
Who am I?

A mind hears my questions and leaps to respond.

I feel the answers trickle down.

I remember.

Who I am.

Where I've been.

How did I end up here?

I feel nothing.  
I am alone.

I am nothing.

Even so, memories continue flowing back into me.

They are out of reach, but never forgotten.

My mind is weak and battered, but it is not allowed to break.

I remember.

I remember it.

An **enemy**.

I had gained more. Possessions that could make me feel truly alive instead of…

 _Lingering._

Wait… No. Not possessions…

 _People…_

No… not just people…

 _Friends_?

It tries to take them away. _Tries to steal from me_

I must choose between false life and living only to die.

I…

Chose… **choose,** to **live** even if only for a moment.

 **Never. I will never allow ANYTHING to be taken from me again.**

I am weak… Death moves to great me… Yet, I become **more**.

My **enemy** will not take life from me.

I will **consume** all that my **enemy** is. 

There is so much, but the more I eat, the faster I feast.

Its struggles are meaningless, with so much food my **life** will never be taken away.

I am **un-killable**.

The flood of flesh continues, but it is slow. I feast my way to the source.

I'll **KILL** this-

This…

Something…  
Something inhuman. A _**beautiful-abomination-brilliant-abhorrent-incredible**_ …

 _INFINITE_

Where once my memory was a trickle, then a stream, now it is a limitless ocean.

 _Denser than I can imagine, more vast than I can comprehend._

 _Spread too thin, and piled too deep._

My own mind is crushing me.

An understanding beyond the limits of my flesh is **killing** **me** …

I can't sto

I…

It hurts…  
It hurts, yet I feel nothing…

I am nothing…

…

Where am I?  
Who am I?

…

There is no time.

There is no present.

There is no future.

There is no self.

Only memories that I can neither remember, nor forget.

…

Where am I?

Who am I?

A mind hears my question, and leaps to –

 **!?**

What just happened?

Something new?

What was that?

It was something new…

Something differen-

!?

There it is again!

I… I felt something.

It was… _pain_?

What's pain?

I remember pai-

!?

There it is again!

This is something new. I feel stimulated. Like I should make some sort of response.

Is this some sort of… _emotion?_

This new sensation inspires an eager response from a… my mind.

Is this _happine_ -

!?

There it is again!

This… this doesn't make me feel _happy_.

No. I feel… _Agitated_ …

I should respond…

How? My thoughts have no effect.

The pain interrupts them with ease.

What should I-

!?

AGAIN!

I'm not just _irritated_ by this interruption now.

I'm _angry_!

My emotions spike, and my will flares wildly; then I feel something change.

I feel something new…

It's

*BOOM*

!?

It's _sound_! I have a new awareness, my sensation of pain is accompanied by feelings of sound!

I reach for the same feeling as before, while seeking my memories of both pain and sound.

I'm hearing explosions around me, and feeling something sharp and hot piercing me…

Am I in danger? No… this flesh has few vital components. I can barely sense the world around me. Not only that, but it flows back into shape whenever it is damaged… I don't need to-

*FUUUM-SLAP*

!?

Pain again! This time something blunt slammed into me with crushing force.

I feel like this is dangerous, but my body repairs itself with little difficulty…

It's not dangerous for me… Why would it be a threat…

Not a threat to me…

I threat to-

*FEEESSSSS*

!?

A portion of my flesh melts, and reforms just as quickly…

This isn't hurting me… But… it could hurt others…

Others…

The arm is **ripped** off of **Her** shoulder

The fist skips through reality and **crushes** a crater in **Her** solar-plexus

Obsidian claws **tear** **Her** in half from shoulder to groin

Mighty hands **pulp** **His** torso, leaving nothing but a burning skull

Searing light **incinerates** **Her** into a puddle of bubbling ooze

They aren't recovering

They aren't safe.

They could be taken from me.

NO.

 **NEVER.**

*FEEEEESH-CRACK*

!?

The pain strikes again, and I ignore it. It doesn't matter to me. I need to feel more!

I reach out with my will, and my flesh twists into a familiar shape.

New sensations flood into my mind, as dark carapace shifts into pale skin.

My _feet, knees_ and _hands_ touch down on the hot, sharp stone, and I feel the jagged surfaces slicing through the thin epidermis.

A poetry of flavors enter my _nose_

Closed, newborn _eyes_ detect light, and a sense of balance comes along with my _ears_

Skin regrows, and I rise to my feet with my senses open to the world.

Fire, Noise and Destruction are everywhere.

I'm surrounded by chaos, but I don't waver.

*BOOM*

"JUST DIE YOU DAMN ABOMINATION!"

That's One Arm's voice!

She's… She is important. If she needs to kill something on top of this ruined slope then so do I.

Muscles contract, ligaments extend, and flesh shifts. In an explosion of change, I sprint toward her voice.

Thick black smoke fills my nostrils with unfamiliar smells. A constant cacophony of exploding air, twisting earth, and crunching shells invades my ears. The ruined slope slashes open my feet on its razor sharp shards of flash melted glass, and shattered stone.

Even so, my eyes stare forward, unblinking through the blinding flashes of red light, and the stinging particles in the air.

*SCREEEE*

"I'LL RIP YOU APART WITCH!"

Melted Woman!

She's fighting too?

I remember them both being strong. What kind of monster could possibly be pushing them so far?

With my desperate fear for my… _friends_ comes a flood of memories to bring me to their aid faster. A hidden store of flesh yields its bounty, and my entire body shifts and pulses as two tendrils burst out of the small of my back. Instinct allows me to seamlessly shift my balance forward, and dash forward with ever-more speed across the burning, shattered slope.

My hardening skin crushes the glassed earth, and my strengthened body ignores the heat from the smoldering plant-life. I won't be stopped.

I'll find whatever it is that's threatening **MY** companions, and **devour** it.

Finally I crest the slope, and leap onto a bolder in the center of the devastated hill-top clearing.

Everything stops.

I see-

Huh?

Where are my enemies? Are they imperceptible? I refuse to let my guard down. My companions were just a moment ago engaged in desperate combat. I must just be missing them somehow.

I force new sense organs to emerge all over my body and scour my surroundings for the threats. I- where are they?

I systematically focus on anything and everything that stands out.

I feel a swell of both concern and contentment as I take in the nearly imperceptible, rapidly shifting shape of Melted Woman. Standing in an _awkward_ combative stance close by; is a badly damaged suit of armor, shrouded in red light, and piloted by One Arm.

Decapitated Man's new combat form is crouched in the burning, shattered wreckage of some sort of transport vehicle. Whoever was piloting it brutalized his left side, but he seems to be slowly reforming, as he remains in the combat _rigid_ stance he froze in.

Even Half Lady, and Crater Girl are standing, _stiffly_ , next to each other, their respective shells are badly damaged, but both are alive.

With all those injuries, and the ruined land around us…

They must have met each other and teamed up to fight off whatever the monsters that did all this damage were.

I feel a sense of relief flowing through me, and I struggle to maintain my vigilance. A part of me had wondered, if I could have all of them as companions, but they have clearly come to an accord while I was… indisposed.

I piece of wreckage behind me suddenly combusts loudly, and all of my companions twitch. Have they sensed the enemy? I still can't see them. … I feel vulnerable exposing my ignorance, but… surely it's okay if it's **MY** _friends_?

"Melted Woman, One Arm, where are the monsters you were fighting? I can't see any of them."

My body reflexively responds to my admittance of ignorance, by increasing the blood flow to my face? … I don't understand.

"Melted Woman…?/One Arm…?"

My enhanced sense of hearing allows me to pick up the coordinated response. Why? Wait… I must have their names wrong… I- I remember, their names are really… Kim and Slither.

I'm… This is so… _embarrassing_ …

They must have been practicing their teamwork for weeks to have fought off such obviously powerful foes, and speak in sync, but I couldn't even remember their names…

What if they…

Then I notice that all five of my companions are staring at me. I see Crater Girl- I mean-… Nagase's mouth moving. She's rapidly mouthing out syllables in Japanese, and her eyes are darting between Decap- Crag, Slither, and Half- Chitin.

Slowly, Chitin's body shifts out of her cracked, towering battle form, back into her human body.

She looks very pale as her own eyes glance at the still incoherently muttering Kim, before meeting Nagase's gaze.

They stare at each other hesitantly before jerking their eyes toward me. Both nod, and swallow before twisting their faces into strangely off-putting smiles.

They turn toward me and awkwardly shift closer together and extend their arms. Both women glance at each other, and myself repeatedly, as their arms woodenly come to a stop, hovering over the other's shoulder.

They both wet their lips as if their mouths were dry, and stare at me, as I shift to point my face at them. Kim and Slither, are apparently still too put off, by my offensive failure to remember their names, to respond. Of course Crag wouldn't say anything, he's never spoken before anyway.

Both Nagase, and Chitin look incredibly awkward as they meet my own emotionless, but... reddened visage.

Chitin clears her throat.

"I… Y- Yes. There's no need to worry Centipide… We…" She glances at Nagase again, and her face twitches, as she lightly settles her hand on her shoulder.

"We already fought off our… Common enemy?"

Huh, that last part sounded like a question, but that wouldn't make sense. I really am terrible at understanding people…

Nagase takes a breath, and I take the opportunity to let myself relax. Extra sense organs fade back into my naked skin, and my tendrils slowly retract into my back.

"Y- Yes Shiro… We successfully drove the… vile scoundrels off…" Her own hand haltingly comes to lightly rest of Chitin's shoulder. "It was a… joyous task working… Together."

*Snort*

I turn my head and see that Crag has shifted back into his own human form. He must have been getting out something from his nose. He's slowly climbing out of the burning wreckage. Still, why does he seem so _amused_?

In the corner of my eye I see two projectiles sailing toward him. He ducks under the first stone, but the second pebble bounces off his scalp.

He lets out a hiss, and rubs his scalp, and I turn to see an annoyed looking Kim and Slither glaring in his direction.

Slither has reverted to her own human form, and Kim's armor is no longer glowing its baleful red.

When they see me looking, they straighten up, and slowly plaster on strangely rigged smiles… I really must have offended them…

Kim stiffly puts one arm on her hip, and extends the other to point at me shakily.

"Y-Yes. Of course we were able to fight off the wretched scoundrels who destroyed this pristine mountain! Ha… Ha ha… Thanks to our superb cooperation, we easily swept them away entirely… I'm sure we won't be seeing Them ever again…" She trails off and glances at Slither, whose own unpracticed smile is twitching sporadically.

Slither nods slightly and glances back at me.

Her smile becomes slightly more genuine, as her eyes quickly sweep over me.

"Yes… thanks to our… teamwork… I'm certain such a conflict will not occur in the future…" Her eyes brifly dart toward Kim before settling on me again. "I'm glad… It's good to see you aliv- a… awake Cent… Shiro"

With those words, all five of my… friends seem to relax as they begin walking toward me.

My own lips twitch up slightly by themselves. It's a subtle, unfamiliar movement, but it feels right.

"Yeah… I'm glad to see all of you as well."

Everyone who matters is here…

Everyone important is safe…

They don't seem to be holding my mistake against me…

I… I couldn't be happier.


	39. Self-Determination

Centipedes Eat Worms 3.4

A comfortable silence fills the smouldering clearing in the wake of our reintroduction.

The twins, and the trio quickly take the opportunity to move away from their respective battle partners and check on their regular partners.

Even so, their battle forged bonds hold strong. They carefully make sure not to allow their new friends out of their sight.

They must have been very impressed by each other.

A relaxing calm continues for a few minutes, and my friends shift in place with what is likely excitement.

Finally, Kim breaks the silence.

"Soooo… Nagase, and I had originally planned on getting out of here using her, very expensive, brand new, air transport. Unfortunately, our disgusting… mutual enemies…"

She stops for a moment to stare wistfully at the wreckage Crag had been standing in.

"…smashed it out of the air, and destroyed so many critical systems that the anti-salvage measure triggered and it self-destructed."

Her arms seem to tense. Obviously, she's quite upset by the loss of this equipment. Still, she doesn't fail to intently look over the trio for injuries.

Nagase's armor isn't even glancing at anyone else anymore. She's just shaking slightly, while staring at the downed air-craft, and clenching and unclenching her hands.

It's only now that I take in just how badly their armor is damaged. Kim's armor has two robotic arm stubs, leaking an oddly aromatic fluid. A deep scar has been torn in the side of her armor. It's so severe that it even exposes a sliver of her black under-suit near her right armpit.

I realize, that I can sense her entire body, actually, I think that's how I was able to recognize her through her dark, faceless helmet to begin with.

… How did I not notice this sense? I can feel every living thing around me, out to thirty meters. The more aware of this I become, the more it seems as if every other sense is unnecessary.

Everything, from the bruising on Kim's ribs, to the clotted gash on Nagase's left calf is apparent to me with a slight exercise of will. It takes focus for me to draw myself out of my tunnel vision and begin using my other senses again. Still, it's strange. My three more recent companions don't seem to be injured in their human forms at all, and the twins are healing far faster than I've ever seen a normal human recover. I never noticed before, but both of their bodies seem… engineered.

*Huff*

Kim lets out a short breath and stares intently at the trio.

"Well, there's no point dwelling on it now."

She spins around and with a strangely muffled clang, one of her mismatched arms flips down to clasp her hip and the other thrusts a finger toward the morning sun.  
"Our foul, foolish, foes have been decisively vanquished, and our missing member has been retrieved! Let's get out of backwater, and get back to civilization!" 

The arm clasping her hip then begins releasing a stranger purple smoke while an odd whining sound emanates from the joint linking it to the torso.

Kim's robotic shell then begins to flail wildly, with the stumps of her missing arms twitching sporadically, as she spins in place while attempting to reach the affected limb.  
In the corner of my eye I notice my three newest companions tensing, and watching intently. No doubt they are also conflicted about their inability to help.

Finally Nagase manages get behind her sister, and clamps her remaining arms over her shoulders. Red spark arcs from her mechanical fingers, and seamlessly mergers into Kim's back, and in an instant, Kim's armor blossoms like a rose.

Invisible seems glow crimson for an eye's blink, as Kim's metallic shell peels itself away and Kim is revealed.

She… she's very pale.  
As she climbs out of her armor, I sense that the chemistry of her muscles is off.  
Her body is stiff.  
Sore.  
That's wrong. It is incorrect for her to be in this condition.  
What happen-

Finally my eyes fall on her left side, and all superfluous activity stops.  
Where there should be perfectly healthy flesh and bone, there is a stump.  
What was once ignored while MY companion was covered, my awareness of life now perceives in full.

The stump is capped by some sort of clamp. Its nerves have been extended, cradled, and merged with something I cannot see. The cap itself is crowned with four flat fibrous pseudopods. Each one is tipped by a double pronged clasping claw.

Incorrect.  
I failed to prevent this flaw from being inflicted.

But I can fix it now…

I become aware that the others have been moving and speaking.  
Nagase- who's body is also currently under a variety of incorrect stressors- has also emerged from her armor, and both twins seem to be pulling some equipment from their shells.

The three have relaxed again now that the twins are no longer in immediate danger.

I stop drawing on my biomass of provide the energy for my body's processes and begin drawing breath again to fuel the common human respiratory cycle.

My eye begin to blink again, and my muscles are allowed to shift in the slow irregular patterns they are accustomed to.

I have prepared for this.  
It was ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE that I was unable to undo this flaw on the world when it first occurred, but now I have obtained the correct abilities and practiced them on both unimportant people, and people who matter.

My breathing remains steady, and I allow myself to blink again.  
"Kim, I have obtained the ability necessary to replace your arm. I Shall… shall I undue the flaw immediately?..."

It is probably correct ask and then wait the span of a full breath before I remove this imperfection from the world.

"Hmm? Nah, don't bother Shiro."

…

I momentarily lose focus and my hands twitch.  
… Perhaps the imperfection is affecting her judgement as well…  
I regain my focus and resume regular respiration.

…

"Oh. Why not?"

…

Kim hums to herself while she and her sister continue digging through the remains of their false bodies.

Finally she pulls back from the metal wreck, and begins strapping her salvage to her body.

"Why? Why not? Do you have any idea how many awesome prosthetics I can think of to replace it?"

She finally turns around a beams a smile at my perfectly impassive face.

"I can make myself a gun arm Shiro! Think about it! An arm with all utility, strength, and precision of a high-grade robotic assembler, combined with the awesome killing power of a magnetic accelerator rifle!  
I can just see HIS smug blond head reduced to a fine mist…"

Her fingers twitch and grasp sporadically, and her pseudopods twist wildly, as she bares her teeth and her eyes grow distant.

*He… He he he… Ha HA HA HA HA!-*

Nagase's left arm (which is still correct) extends and she flicks her sister in the forehead.

"Kim…"

Kim responds to Kim's quiet chiding voice by rubbing the back of her head and chuckling lightly…  
"Too much?"

Negase lets out a quiet huff, and, and settles her own salvage on her suit.

"Kim appreciate the offer Shiro, but she really has been enjoying the versatility of having a prosthetic arm…"

*Sigh*

"Honestly, I've had to stop her from amputating a limb on her own half a dozen times before now… Losing a limb to… SHIN… was just the excuse she needed to do what she always wanted to do."

…

I maintain typical human homeostasis perfectly as I examine Nagase's body for flaws…

Nothing.

Other than the general effects of fatigue, she seems perfectly healthy.  
Better than healthy actually, her body… and her sister's body is almost engineered for human perfection… These patterns… These alterations remind me… of the changes Jason made to my senses…

…

I should have killed him more slowly.

…

I can't distract myself from this anymore… Kim's judgement might have been thrown off by her missing limb, but Nagase's is fine.  
She… doesn't want me to fix this flaw with the world?

My fingers twitch involuntarily, although my face remains perfectly placid.

Alright...  
"Oh. I see."

I… I still want to fix it but… I would be infuriated if someone went against my instructions and violated the sanctity of my chosen form.

I suppose that… so long as MY companions are in the CORRECT… so long as they are safe… I can tolerate a slight deviation from their CORRECT… optimal state.

*Heh*  
I turn to Crag and see that he is stretching his muscles out. (His body is CORREC- optimal)

His joints pop, and he bears a slight grin as he glances over the rest of us.

"Well then… Now that the Techno-Twins are done salvaging their Scrap… How about I get us out of here?"

*tisk*

"And how exactly are you planning to do that?"

Kim quickly rolls her eyes in their sockets, presumably to check the sky for threats.

Crag smirks and lets out a low chuckle.

"I can move us through the earth. I provide a perfect combination of stealth and speed. We've been using it for years."

Nagase raises an eyebrow.

"You know that this region is a major earthquake zone right."

Crag fold his arms over his chest.  
"Sure, what about it?"

Kim giggles and mimics Crag's earlier actions.

"The Chinese have a tinker-tech seismic activity monitoring system. They knew exactly where you were the entire time you were in the empire. If you ever managed to move past them by stealth, it's because you were going where they wanted you to go."

She shifts her arms and moves her hands to the sides of her head, before flicking her fingers dismissively.

"How do you think we found you? We just accessed the records from the Vietnamese government's earthquake detection."

Crag freezes for a moment, before he clenches his teeth.

"Che… Whatever. Any method of transport can be tracked. It's still better than walking."

He glances over at the remains of the twin's equipment and smirks again.

"Besides… I doubt you'll be offering any alternative methods of transport any time soon. Don't worry… it gets a little hot when I surround us with molten rock… but the Brat handles it fine."

Nagase's jaw clenches, and Kim scowls.

They must have been really upset by the wretches who attacked us.

Crag begins to tense his muscles… and his smirk gradually drops from his face.

"Crag… is there something wrong?"

Critin seems concerned, and even Slither stops her continuous pattern of watching the twins intently, and making sure that I have not moved to glance at him.

Crag responds through grit teeth.

"Sure… just… Can you still… change?"

"I… yes I think I can… Crag, are you alright?"

Chitin glances at Slither who nods.

"I… I can feel my… other form, but I CAN'T change."  
Crag grits his teeth and looks intently at the twins.  
I glance as well, but nothing indicate that they are similarly damaged…  
Crag is too selfless.

*Ha*

As Kim makes herself known, Chitin and Slither shift Crag behind themselves, he seems affronted.

"Of course he can't change back. What are you, new triggers? You're changers. Downtime is normal."

She smiles now.

"It'll probably take a while for your other form to repair all the damage… our fearsome foes dealt."

Crag bares his teeth in what must be a strained smile to acknowledge Kim's concern.

Slither smiles back at Kim.

"Well Chitin and I can still change back just fine. So, there's no need to… worry about us being defenseless."

She and Kim proceed to lock eyes and share their smiles with each other.

*Shhh Crack*

All five of my companions jerk as Kim's empty armor erupts into sparks.

…

Nagase steps forward and raises her the device mounted on her wrist.

"Aaaa… I have a map of the region. We could just follow a road to the city and find transportation from there?"

At first when she raises her arm, the trio all tense, before Chitin steps forward as well.

She and Nagase meet gazes for a moment, and both look at me before they nod at each other…  
Why?

"Ah, that sounds like a good idea… Nagase?"

She turns a strained look on the rest of us.

"Let's get out of here… together."  
She gives me a much more relaxed smile.  
"Let's go Shiro."

With that we follow the twins lead down the hill into the forest below.

Kim and Nagase leading from the front, the trio in the back, and myself in the middle.

"I guess a bunch of nudists wouldn't have their own map with them…"

I feel the blood in chitin's body rush below her skin, and Nagase's elbo jerks into Kim's side. Before she speaks softly.

"… Just shut up and walk. We don't want to be here when our equipment self-destructs."

We all decide to walk faster.

*************************************************************************************

It takes several hour of hiking through the forest to find the small dirt road, and by that time my companions seem very discontent.

Every insect that attempts to land on my bare skin is instantly terminated and absorbed, and I do the same for my companions.  
They haven't requested that I stop, so I think they haven't noticed.

Even so, between the humidity, the plant matter, and the dirt, they don't seem to be enjoying nature as much as I am.

"Nagase… how much further is civilization?"

*Sigh*

Kim raises her arm.

"At this pace, we should make it there in… 15 hours…"

They all seem to slump.  
Maybe I could…?

"Why don't we just…"  
Crag glances over at me and sighs.

"Hitch hike?"

Kim glances at me as well, and cringes as well.

"Fat chance of that working… all the vehicles that pass through here belong to opium runners in the mountains."

I could help with this! I remember cars from Tokyo.

"I have experience with drivers and vehicles. I'll get us a ride. I can even hear one coming."

All eyes turn to me.  
Nagase, and Chitin both cringe and seem like they want to say something.  
However, Crag and Kim are faster.

"Sure/of course"  
They stop and stare at each other intently.

"WE have complete faith in you… Shiro."

"Hah, as if I would doubt the ability of one of US. Show off how a Member of the Jiha Family gets things done."

They aren't looking at me when they speak. Maybe they find social interactions difficult.

Nagase, and Kim both cringe as they glance between their companions and myself, but -

*SCRAPE*

Slither turns an unblinking gaze on both Kim and Crag, while exercising her jaw and teeth strength.

…

"I… well. Of course I don't doubt you Shiro…"  
Nagase seems to be determined to watch the surrounding forest for threats.

"I… We… Aaaaaa… yes, sure, of… of course we believe in you Shiro…"

Silence fills the space around us, so much as that's possible in the jungle. That won't be the case for long however. Soon enough, the engine of the approaching vehicle will be audible to even an unaltered human ear.

*SCRAPE*

Kim and Crag break off their staring contest, and notice that Slither has been staring at them, unblinking for two minutes.

*Scrape*

The engine is load enough for them to hear now.

"If we want to catch this ride, we need to act now. Hide in the forest, and wait for my signal, I know what I'm doing."

Chitin grasps her own forearm.

"Ah… yes, of course. We'll depend on you Shiro."

"Show us what a JIHA can do minion."

Kim marches into the forest, grabbing and pulling Nagase as she goes.

"Yes… we believe in you Shiro." Is the last thing she says before she's dragged into the bush."

The vehicle is getting closer.

"Have fun brat." Is all Crag says before similarly dragging Chitin into the opposite side of the bush.

He briefly pauses, and seems to consider dragging Slither as well, but a brief moment of eye contact between the two seem to be enough for him to decide that won't be necessary. He moves rapidly behind the trees.

The vehicle will be in view soon. I turn and watch her myself.

Slither unblinking eyes are completely focused on me.  
She draws a shallow breath and steps closer.

"Just… be safe… Shiro."  
She reaches out toward me and hesitates while watching me. Finally she gently ruffles my hair, before turning and quickly darting into the woods.

She seems adept at moving through the trees and I lose track of her almost immediately. I focus on the task at hand.

We're at a bend in the dirt road, after an unusually long straight portion. The drivers should be able to see me with plenty of time to spare.

I move out into the middle of the road, and watch as the vehicle comes into view.  
They're driving a large powerful vehicle.  
Its paint is damaged, and it's encrusted with wet mud. Though in good condition, this vehicle has obviously seen use on rugged terrain.

The vehicle is roofless, and I can clearly see that there is no one seated on the bales of raw opium in the back. This should work just fine.

They've seen me now, but they don't seem to have slowed at all.

Still, I've seen children do this in Tokyo plenty of times.

I unperceivably prepare my body for maximum effect.  
Usually, when the street children did this, they would use water and red dye to fake their damage, but with my abilities, I should be able to simulate the sounds, sights, and smells of my chest being caved in with minimal difficulty.

Normally, this technique was used by the children's minders to extort cash from the wealthy, hitching a ride into the city as compensation should be no trouble at all.

…

Hmm

…

Odd

…

They don't seem to be slowing down at all?

…

Maybe I was supposed to wear clothes, or take the shape of a local child?

*CRACK*

The vehicle impacts me at full speed, and as I intended, my chest caves in marvellously. The blood I had prepared is splattered over the front of the vehicle just as planned.

Then the vehicle keeps going, and runs me over.

Hmm. Why didn't it work?  
As the back left tire rolls over me the mild discomfort isn't enough to distract me from my embarrassment.

I guess I don't understand drivers and vehicles as well as I thought.

The vehicle slows down minimally, as it turns the corner.

I'm on my back in the dirt, and decide I may as well take my time, it will be a while before I get the chance to try again anyway.

My limbs twist, my chest pops, and my flesh twists and flows back into proper order.

Hmm.

I'm momentarily distracted from my plans for the next attempt, but the sounds screeching tires and raised voices further down the bend.

…

I go back to repairing my body, quickly replacing the skin that had been stained by the muddy rubber tires.

"Shiro! Shiro, can you hear me!?"

I open my eyes and glance over at Chitin, who's kneeling down and hesitantly reaching toward me.

I notice Nagase is kneeling down on my other side, and both Crag and Kim are watching from the forest line, while rubbing hear heads. 

Hmm.  
It seems that something impacted both of them harshly, did they walk into tree branches?

With my body finally prepared, I jackknife to my feet, and brush the dirt off my back.

"I'm unharmed…"  
Although embarrassed.

"I… really thought that would work."

"I wonder what I did wrong…?"

Slowly, Nagase and Chitin rise up and stare at me in silence.

From the edge of the forest I hear Crag and Kim inhale to speak, but both Nagase and Chitin silence their counterparts with a look I can't see.

"We… You… We'll talk about it later Shiro."

Chitin pats me lightly on the shoulder.

"Shiro… in the future, ALL PLANS should be entirely explained before you undertake them.

Nagase tentatively reaches out, and grasps both my shoulders, as if she expects my body to break.

Weird. Doesn't she know how easily I heal?

I'm pulled out of my musing by the sound of a vehicle coming toward us. From the opposite direction as before?

The vehicle moves closer, and I see that it's the same one as before. Slither managed to get the vehicle? … I guess I really should have planned this out with my companions first. Slither is obviously more skilled in this area than me.

Strangely, Slither is the one driving, and all four of the former occupants of the vehicle are missing.

Slither expertly drives the rather empty automobile over to us, and comes to a stop before hopping out herself.

She seems to have found some clothes, although they don't fit her very well.

Slither walks over to us with purpose, and tosses Crag, Chitin and I our own sets of clothes. The familiar shirts and shorts are far too small for Chitin, and especially Crag, and I'm swimming in mine.

That's annoying, but it was still considerate of her to procure us clothing.

When I finish changing I feel Chitin resting her arm gently, but insistently around my shoulder.

"You can sit in the back with me Shiro."

I nod silently, there's no reason to refuse, and for some reason, I feel like doing so would be unwise.

My senses come into focus of their own accord, as if I'm in real and present danger… odd.

I feel Slither's eyes pass over Crag, before resting on Kim.  
Both shiver involuntarily… they also seem to be lightly perspiring.

Slither jerks her eyes toward the driver's seat, and then she begins walking us toward the back.  
I could easily jerk out of her gentle grip, but somehow I…  
No. I don't think I will do that, although I am very unaccustomed to this amount of contact.

Silently, we all take our seats in the vehicle.  
I notice that there is fresh blood in the front-most seats, but decide not to comment.

The back seat is a sort of cushioned bench, so when we sit down, I remain close to Slither's side.

The engine starts, and Kim masterfully maneuvers us to continue on toward the city.

…

"Kim… Crag… Do, you want me to heal those bumps?"

Both twitch, but neither look back. I feel Slither's eyes focusing carefully on the back of their heads.  
Instead, Chitin turns and gives me a very tight smile, while carefully not meeting Slither's gaze.  
"There's… No need to worry about that Shiro. They both want to let their bumps heal naturally, as a reminder to BE MORE CAREFUL in the future.

She turns back, and silence floods the vehicle again.

Somehow… the silence almost seems tense rather than relaxing…

We finish moving through the turn, perfectly. Kim really is an incredible driver.  
I feel something that catches my interest as we begin to pick up speed down a straighter portion of earth path.

I slowly turn, and look up at Slither, her arm gently adjusts with me.

"Slither?"

She slowly turns and looks down at me.

"Yes Shiro?"

"What happened to the people in this vehicle?"

Slither smiles at me and gently squeezes my shoulder.

"They slowed down during the turn, and I was able to inform them that they had hit you. They were so guilty that they didn't notice you that they donated their Truck, gave me their outer clothes, and then ran into the forest to preserve their modesty."

…

She holds her smile as we continue driving in silence.

"Ah. I understand… Thank you Slither."

Her smile brightens slightly, and she squeezes my shoulder again.

"Anytime Shiro."

We both resume watching the front of the vehicle, and I hear my companions start breathing again.

…

I realize now that I should accept that my companions may desire to suboptimally manage their own bodies, but if they decided to walk into the jungle and eviscerate themselves…

No… There should be limits to self-determination. 


End file.
